Inebriated
by PiscesGrl26
Summary: Lace, the daughter of Goten and Bra, accidentally causes a tragedy in Japan which forces her family to move to the USA to keep their secrets safe. She meets new friends and navigates life as a teen with saiyan superpowers all whilst sensing that something else is brewing nearby. Can Lace and her friends stop the inevitable attack on Earth by themselves?
1. Chapter 1

The warm, August air was filled with the crisp smell of fresh cut grass and chlorine from nearby neighborhood pools. Carefully manicured greenery surrounded the long sidewalks leading up to one of the most prestigious private schools in the country.

"Move it, lady!"

Young kids with brightly-colored book bags ran past a tan, taller-than-average girl, bumping into her aggressively. They turned their heads long enough to laugh at her, but then kept running. Two boys sitting just off to the side in the grass who looked to be in high school whistled and suggested she hike up her skirt a bit. Humiliated, she kept walking with her eyes forward.

_Was this how all the kids in the United States were?_

Though she was admittedly a little excited for the new scenery, Lace didn't _want_ to move across the ocean just a few short weeks earlier. Her family owned business called Capsule Corporation, the largest company in the world, finally broke into the American market. Despite years of dread and promises that it would never happen, their entire family decided to uprooted their children to a new country. Now, Lace found herself in northern Georgia wearing the ugliest plaid skirt she'd ever laid seen and already feeling grumpy.

As she continued walking, she heard a driver beside her in his car yelling and speeding past slower drivers on the road. She tried to ignore it and breathed in deeply, but the air near the city of Atlanta was fairly toxic and thick. She coughed and tried to catch her breath while a few other cars sped by. Several profanities were screamed back and forth at the next red light before the cars slammed on the gas and took off yet again. She snickered quietly at the men.

_At least she could understand and speak fluent English._

Lost in culture shock, she felt a tug on her book bag and flew backwards. She fell with a thud onto her backside and heard the ground crack below her. She spun her head around and up to see her younger sister, Brie and her cousin, Keiko standing over her with dumb grins adjourning their optimistic faces. Brie held out a hand while trying to flip her bangs out of her eyes. Her light blue bob shimmered from her glitter hairspray in the sunlight. Lace gasped at her sister's carelessness when her rolled up skirt almost revealed all it had to offer to some boys across the street. Lace grabbed her hand and pulled herself up quickly.

"Brie! Unroll your skirt! You look like a total ho!" Lace complained.

Brie groaned and pushed Lace away from her.

"You're just jealous of my hot bod." Brie bragged, skimming her hands down her sides.

Lace rolled her eyes and brushed off her skirt. Keiko leaned an elbow on her cousin and poked her cheek.

"Sorry, but it was kinda funny that you actually fell. Proof that you're never paying attention."

Keiko had her wispy, purple hair pulled into a high ponytail at the top of her head like always. She looked like she was straight out of a cheerleader movie. She blended right in with the other confident girls walking about, aside from her thin eyes admittedly showing her heritage.

Before Lace could come up with something to say back to her, Keiko flipped Lace's braid into her face and laughed playfully, causing Lace to sneeze and chase after them both.

"You know what? I'm just glad it was you two pulling on my bag and not one of the other idiots around here. People are already being total _dicks_ to me! They have no idea what could happen if they piss me off…" Lace growled in a low voice, catching up to the two trouble makers.

Keiko eagerly pried for more information, "Like _how?_ We haven't even gotten to school yet."

"I've already had like a million people making comments on this ugly ass skirt! We're like…total freaks. Wait until people start noticing my eyes..."

Keiko's face turned a little more serious-looking. She knew all about the incident that caused Lace's...deformity. At least, as much as anyone besides Lace's parents knew. Their family regarded it with utmost reverence and protected their secret carefully. It was never brought up until each child was old enough to understand just how special, and dangerous, Lace actually was.

The story would be hard to believe for an average human. It was so strange that Lace had never shared the reason behind her unusual appearance with anyone who didn't already know about it.

When Lace's mother was pregnant, an evil group of people set out to kidnap and destroy humanoids with extraordinary strength and abilities. The sought-out people, called saiyans, fought back with ferocity, but none of them seemed to be able to prevent their inevitable capture and torture. After all known-saiyans but Lace's father were trapped under ground, a mad scientist that led the group of degenerates injected Lace's mother with an experimental serum. The foreign mixture merged with Bra's unborn child's genes and altered her saiyan DNA permanently. From the moment she was born, her pure-blue eyes were tainted by a glowing, pink ring around both of her pupils. The angrier she became, the more the glowing pink engulfed her irises and terrified those around her.

As a small child, controlling her powers and hiding her abilities at school were very difficult tasks. One temper tantrum was capable of destroying an entire city. Though Lace was a happy child with many advantages in life, her temper remained unpredictable. She began to train with her grandfather, a pure-blooded, saiyan prince. Vegeta saw himself in the little girl who was eager and willing to learn. She was destined to be the greatest warrior this universe had ever seen in his eyes. She was the only person Vegeta had never showed an ounce of resentment or embarrassment towards.

Lace looked down at her phone and turned on the screen. A text was there, but she blushed and hid it away quickly. Keiko noticed and grabbed for the phone, but Lace stuffed it down her shirt.

"_Seriously?_" Keiko complained.

"It's nothing." Lace assured her, looking away.

"You know that long distance relationships are crazy. You shouldn't be talking to some guy in Japan! You should be meeting these hot American guys! Jerks or not…most of them are _totally_ cute." Keiko declared playfully, winking at a passing public school boy.

When they arrived at Ramison Academy, several students were pulling up to the front in luxury cars and limos. There was a student parking lot as well that was filled with seniors driving cars that were just as expensive as their tuition. Lace noticed one girl open her red convertible's door right into another car. The boy in the white car beside her got out and began to yell, but the girl simply handed him cash and waved her hand in his face. Lace watched her float away in her way-too-short skirt and rolled her eyes. The girl's long, wild green hair blew in the wind and seemed to attract the jocks from across the lot like magnets.

There _always_ had to be one, Lace thought with contempt.

Keiko trotted up the stairs proudly behind Brie, who looked around casually and smiled at everyone that caught her eye. Lace felt her face heating up with embarrassment. How could they be so confident in a new school on the first day? Furthermore, what did they have to be so happy about? It's _just_ a stupid high school.

This day was going to be hell.

After the girls received some papers from the front office, they proceeded to their lockers. Lace was two years older than her cousin and sister, putting her on a completely different hallway in another part of the school. When they reached the split hall, Lace turned to wave goodbye, but Keiko and Brie were already skipping down the freshmen hall like they'd been going here for years.

Wallowing in her own sadness, Lace began searching for her locker. The bustling hallways were pretty difficult to navigate. Students crammed every inch of floor space as they conversed about their lavish summer vacations and new cars. Lace watched girls gather around each other and comment on boys who'd matured in their looks over the summer. In turn, the boys flashed their pearly-white smiles and tried their best to look macho in their plain white shirts and ugly, plaid pants. A few teachers snapped at boys to tuck in their shirts or at girls to unroll their skirts, causing Lace to snicker secretly to herself.

A teacher stopped Lace with a stern look. She frowned and looked Lace up and down, as though examining an animal in a zoo. When other students started to notice, Lace realized what the teacher was looking at. She slowly peered downwards at what the teacher was staring at.

Her spiked bracelet and combat boots didn't seem to fit in, did they?

"Did you get those…accessories…approved by administration?" The teacher asked sternly.

"Well…no. I'm new. It's my first day." Lace shrugged, darting her eyes around to several sets of loafers rushing past her.

"I don't care if you're new here! Clearly those are not uniform. Look around!"

Lace continued staring at the floor and felt the urge to bow and apologize, but customs in the US were different. Her mother reminded her repeatedly before they moved that bowing would be weird here.

"Why aren't you looking at me, young lady?" The teacher demanded.

Lace felt a nervous pull in her stomach. She didn't want to look up.

"Ma'am! There's a fight in the boy's bathroom!" A girl yelled.

The angry teacher snapped away from Lace and rushed towards the voice. Lace exhaled loudly and hurried away. She heard some girls snickering and blushed. How humiliating.

Lace felt a wave of relief when she finally found her locker. A private place of her own in this giant school was just what she needed. She excitedly tried to open it, looking down at the combination she'd been given by the office. She lifted the small, black lever, but it didn't open. She tried again. Frustrated, she slammed her fist on the locker nonchalantly. Instant regret washed over her when she easily dented the metal. She froze. Other students stopped around her and stared. Mortified, she rushed away quickly and headed for the next hallway over. This day was starting out more terribly than she'd imagined.

She stared at a small map of the school she'd gotten from the office. It appeared that her homeroom was just around the corner. It was going to be close enough to hear students buzzing about the incident, for sure.

In a mad dash, she snuck through the classroom doorway and entered a room lit up with lanterns and decorated with fake plants. The sight shocked her. She peered around at the empty desks and realized that she was the first one there. Everyone was still meeting up with friends in the hallway.

Relieved, she settled in and stared up at the ceiling where students had painted their names carefully in each square with the year that they graduated in the center. Her eyes traveled from the holey ceiling tiles to the walls that were covered in motivational posters and pictures of nature. This teacher was clearly one of those science teachers that tried to immerse the student in the environment. Lace liked that. She glanced over her schedule and felt her heart skip a little beat when she saw the teacher's name listed a second time for her AP biology course. She hoped the teacher was as cool as their classroom.

After a few quiet moments alone, students began to filter in. They all seemed to be avoiding Lace and sitting in their already established social groups. Lace sunk down into the seat and watched the sea of blue and green plaid skirts and pants mingle. The room began to grow loud. Too loud. She closed her eyes and put her head down on the desk. A single tear threatened one eye, ready to break through and pine after the school she'd left so unwillingly behind in Japan. Her phone buzzed again, but she didn't look at the message. Her phone was still stuck down her shirt.

_Fantastic._

"Hey!" A voice said calmly from in front of her.

She slowly looked up from her little escape and saw a friendly smile sitting in front of her. The girl wore a similar bracelet to Lace's and was comparing them excitedly.

"I never thought I'd see another rocker-girl at _this_ school. I'm Bibiirotto, but everyone just calls me Bibii."

Lace stifled her lonely sadness and felt a warm glow building steadily inside of her. A friend already? She couldn't be too easily fooled. She stretched out her arm and showed her the bracelet willingly.

"It's seen slipknot twice. It's my lucky bracelet." Lace said quietly with a small smile.

"Slipknot? No way…that's awesome!" Bibii examined the bracelet and began talking about a concert she'd been to recently. Lace listened idly, waiting for the moment she always dreaded when she met new people. It came later than usual, but still, it was expected.

"_Woah_…your eyes are…so cool! Are those contacts?"

Bibii pulled herself up from her seat and looked into Lace's dazzling blue eyes with amazement. Lace blinked and pulled away.

"No, not contacts. Just my eyes." Lace answered flatly, "It's…a genetic thing."

"So cool! I wish my eyes had glowy, ring thingies!" Bibii squealed cheerfully.

More students began to file in. It seemed like they were hurrying. Homeroom must be about to start. A bell broke through the chatter and quieted everyone quickly. It sounded like a fancy doorbell. Lace chuckled to herself. How lame.

"Good morning, Ramison Academy!" A loud voice rang out from the speakers on the ceiling. Students groaned.

"Please stand for the pledge of allegiance!"

Lace looked around and quickly stumbled to her feet. She copied what Bibii was doing and pretended to mouth along to the words. She thought she'd memorized it, but everything went blank. She noticed other kids staring at her, too.

After some awkward moments of silence, what Lace assumed was their teacher came bounding through the doorway with a handful of papers and a coffee that had spilled a little down her arm. She said hello and hurried over to her desk, dropping the papers on the way and almost spilling her coffee down the front of her flowery dress. Lace got up and rushed over to help her without thinking, grabbing a few more papers effortlessly as they fell from her arms.

"Thank you, sweetheart! I'm a mess this morning!" The teacher said.

The teacher pushed up her thick-rimmed glasses and hurried over to the board. She began to write furiously. Lace sat back down and heard a few girls comment snidely. She felt anger boil inside of her. Would they rather have just let the teacher suffer for everyone to laugh at? She made a mental note to embarrass those girls at some point in the near future.

"Juniors."

She heard the teacher say loudly. Lace looked at the mousy woman standing in front of her messy handwriting on the board.

"I'm Ms. Arrington and I teach a few different science classes here at the Academy. I recognize a few of you, but I see some new faces, too. Let's introduce ourselves before you're dismissed to first period!" The teacher happily trotted over towards Lace's side of the classroom.

Lace filled with dread. Again, she knew what was coming.

"You're new here! How about you stand up and tell us about yourself!"

Lace sighed and stood up. She turned to face the class of stuck up snobs and jocks with contempt. Though she was a serious victim of frequent resting-bitch-face, her current frown was formed totally on purpose.

"Hey. I'm Lace Son. My family moved here from Japan last week…Um…my uncle owns Capsule Corp, if you've heard of it..."

The room fell silent. Faces turned white and mouths hung open. Lace twirled the end of her long, navy braid in one hand as she sat back down in her desk awkwardly. That wasn't the reaction that she expected. She heard one boy whisper, "Dude…that chick is loaded."

Lace smiled. She couldn't deny that little fact.

The teacher introduced some other students and finished up just as another bell rang. She dismissed them and off they went to first period. Lace looked at her schedule and made her way through the crowded halls blindly. She hoped she was headed in the right direction. Bibii, the girl from earlier, was walking up ahead. She figured she'd follow her in an attempt to look somewhat confident. Her phone buzzed again. She looked around and quickly reached into her blouse. She pulled out her phone and looked at the screen.

"How's your day going? Beat anyone up yet?"

Lace felt her stomach lurch angrily and put the phone away. She couldn't get emotional. Not in this lion's den.

The day went by with mostly the same reactions. She had to introduce herself a few more times, adding not so inconspicuously that Trunks Brief was her uncle. It was an instant respect booster and she liked not having to work for that. A few more comments about her eyes were made in passing, but luckily not many people seemed to notice. She still worried in the pit of her stomach. What if someone realized that she was different from the other kids? What if someone figured out that she wasn't even human?

"Hey gorgeous."

A tall, muscular student with huge, spikey hair said casually from beside her at her empty lunch table.

"Hi." She grumbled, returning to her food and blushing.

"Hey, seriously though…do you have a quarter? I'm one quarter short and I really want to buy ice cream."

Lace choked on her food, "W-what?"

"Sorry! I'm Rez by the way. You're new!" He laughed and patted her on the back with hefty force. Lace went rigid at the feeling of someone she didn't know touching her.

"I'm…Lace…" She said between gasps.

"Lace…well that's a pretty name. Pretty name for a pretty girl! So, about that quarter…" Rez continued.

"Rez! Stop scaring Lace!" Bibii laughed, appearing out of nowhere and sitting in front of them.

"Nah, Beebs. I'm not! I just really need a quarter. Do you have one?" He asked with childish excitement.

Bibii laughed and reached into her purse. She tossed a quarter to him and off he went towards the lunch line.

"Sorry about him. He's a little…odd. But he's one of my best friends. You'll get used to his weirdness." Bibii said casually.

Lace felt her sister and Keiko's energy approaching. She loved being able to sense energy levels. It helped her identify when she was about to be bombarded, though the two had grown very skilled at hiding it from her, like their little stunt this morning.

"Oh my God, did you see that pink haired guy? He's totally gorgeous." Keiko said loudly, sitting to Lace's left.

"No, that guy with the purple streak in his hair…." Brie corrected, sitting to Lace's right and staring starry eyed into the abyss.

"You gonna tap that?" Keiko asked seriously.

"We shall see." Brie answered, winking.

Bibii looked awkwardly at Lace, hoping for an introduction, but Keiko spoke first.

"Hi! I'm Keiko and this is Brie. We're new. Well, duh."

Bibii laughed and smiled warmly. Rez returned to the table shortly after and stood with wide eyes behind Bibii.

"Woah, where did all these beautiful ladies come from? Damn!"

Keiko and Brie both giggled, taking the compliment with stride and batting their eyes at him. Lace rolled her eyes and kept eating. He was kinda cute and definitely worked out from the looks of his chiseled appearance, but he was too outgoing and goofy for Lace's tastes.

After the school day finally ended, Lace rushed outside ahead of most of the other lingering students. The feeling of freedom flooded over her and a genuine smile appeared on her face. Her phone buzzed. Finally, she thought. With shaky hands, she pulled out her phone to read her text messages, but someone came up from behind her and grabbed it from her hands.

"Hey!" Lace snarled angrily.

"Whatever. Getting texts from your boyfriend back in Japan? Ew, I bet he's _hideous_."

The girl from that morning with the red convertible stood in front of Lace in her platform heels and dangled the phone between two fingers as though bating Lace to grab it. Lace crossed her arms and frowned lazily. The girl began getting annoyed at her lack of interest.

"What's the matter? Can't understand English?" The girl taunted, looking anxious for the approval of her posse of preppy girls standing a few feet away.

"Can't understand stupid is more like it." Lace answered coolly, staring the girl straight in the eyes.

"What did you say to me? I'll have you know that my father owns the largest company in America. I could buy this entire school ten times over. My name is Mina Leif, as _if_ you haven't heard of me, and you are not welcome here at this fine establishment! What are you even wearing? _Spikes?_ What a freak!"

The girls in Mina's side-posse began to giggle and agree. Lace rolled her eyes and dropped her arms. She took one step forward to snatch the phone back, but Mina released her two fingers and dropped the phone onto the ground. The screen shattered, but Mina finished the job by stomping on it with the heel of her shoe.

"_Oops_. I'm guessing you can't afford another one. Poor, ugly lover-boy will have to wait."

Lace's eyes grew large. Without thinking, she jolted forward. Rage exploded in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't control herself. She wanted to rip Mina's stupid head straight from her body. Just before she reached the mint-haired queen, two sets of hands grabbed each of her arms and yanked her backwards forcefully.

"Lace, calm down!" Keiko exclaimed.

"Sis, your eyes!" Brie whispered, struggling to keep hold of Lace.

Mina took a step backwards and covered her mouth dramatically. Her friends rushed to her side and took turns asking if she was okay and fanning her. Mina looked furiously at Lace and pointed at her, about to threaten her, but noticed instead the one thing Lace tried to hide all day.

"Oh my God, what a total _freak!_ Look at her eyes! They're pink! She's some kind of demon-girl!" Mina screeched.

The girls squealed in horror and started pulling Mina away. Lace stomped her foot angrily and felt the concrete crack below her. Keiko grabbed Lace's long braid and yanked on it, snapping her out of her angry trance.

"It's just a phone, Lace. It's not worth blowing your cover! She's just a stupid hoe anyways!" Keiko snapped.

Lace pulled her arms out of their protective holds and straightened out her jacket. Brie giggled.

"She doesn't even _know_ you! It's not like you were _actually_ texting a guy. That's just crazy talk for Lacey." Brie joked.

Ignoring the two, Lace stared down at her phone's pieces. She sighed. It definitely wasn't an issue of buying a new phone. She could have one tonight if she really wanted. Quickly, she picked up the pieces and tossed them into a nearby trashcan. She began storming home without another word.

"Lace, wait up!" Brie called after her.

"Just leave me alone!" Lace growled.

How was she going to know what the text messages said? Did he think she didn't want to answer him? Did he think she was into some guy or something?

When she reached her new, lavish home, she flung open the front door and stomped directly towards the spiral staircase in the foyer. She threw the door closed, causing a loud bang to echo through the whole house. Her mother poked her head out from her upstairs office.

"Are you trying to break the house before we are even finished unpacking?" Bra joked half-heartedly.

"Whatever!" Lace shouted, jogging down the hallway to her room and slamming that door as well.

Bra got up and began making her way to Lace's room, but Lace could hear that Brie arrived just in time to stop her. She listened to her sister cover for her and felt a little relieved.

"Mom! You so don't wanna go in there right now!" She whispered heavily, panting.

"What happened? Is she okay?" Bra asked, removing her glasses and hanging them on the rather revealing cleavage of her silk shirt.

"Some girl smashed her phone and made fun of her at school. She was a total crazy person. It triggered Lace's rage, though. She's lucky Keiko and I got there when we did…it could have been really bad, mom." Brie admitted quietly, shrugging her shoulders.

"You just love the drama, don't you?" Bra asked, "That's my girl."

Bra and Brie headed downstairs, leaving Lace alone to cool off. Lace listened against the door, waiting to move until they were gone.

She approached her bed and plopped down onto it. Her laptop sat just a few inches away, closed and waiting. She decided to be honest and tell him what happened. He would understand. He _had_ to understand.

"Hey."

She hit send immediately, unsure of how he might respond. Was he even awake? What time was it in Japan right now?

"Hey!"

His answer was instant. He wasn't typing anything else. The pit of her stomach tightened as she began to type back.

"Today was HORRIBLE."

She felt a little bad for complaining. He'd been texting her all day. She was the one who didn't answer to tell him about it until now.

"What happened?"

Lace sighed loudly. Did she really need to tell him how careless she was? She paused before answering, looking sadly at the keyboard.

"People were horrible. School was horrible. I hate it here. I wanna come home."

He didn't respond right away. Her stomach clenched itself so hard she felt like she was suffocating. Finally he began to type again.

"We talked about this, Lacey. You have to at least try to get along with people…College is kicking my ass, too but I'm trying to make the best of it. Not everyone gets to be a super cool alien kid like us."

She frowned. Why did he always have to be so positive? Why couldn't he just be angry with her?

"You're so lucky. I wish I was in college and out of my parents' house. I would move back to Japan in a heartbeat and live on your couch or something."

"What about bills? What about a job? You don't have to worry about any of that yet. Trust me, it's not all you think it is. I fucking hate it sometimes. I'd kill to be back in my dad's house without any responsibilities. Don't rush yourself."

Lace grumbled. He just didn't get it today. High school was positively the worst thing ever. Besides, _his_ parents let him do whatever he wanted. Hers were way too overprotective and hovered like nobody's business. She couldn't even keep a diary because she knew her mother would find it and read it.

"Whatever. I guess you just don't miss me." She typed angrily.

"Well, shit. That's not fair." He answered.

She blushed and choked up as tears began to flood into her eyes.

"I gotta go. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

She slammed the laptop shut and dropped backwards onto her bed.

_Why did life have to be so unfair?_


	2. Chapter 2

"Hit me, Lace! Hit me like you mean it!" Vegeta demanded angrily from across his new and improved gravity room.

Lace squinted through the sweat dripping into her eyes. She bolted forward through the pain with blurred vision and smacked into her grandfather's massive arms. He pushed her backwards and into the air.

"More force this time! Do it again. I could have blocked you with my eyes closed!"

She readied herself to jolt forward again, but hesitated when another drip of sweat ran down her forehead.

"Do it, dammit!" Vegeta urged.

Lace surged ahead and flipped into the air. She angled herself, left foot out, and dived towards him with the speed of a lightning bolt. Vegeta looked up and easily dodged her kick with expert reflexes. In a split second, he frowned and grabbed her foot. He threw her to the ground with force and scoffed.

"Get up and hit me! What the hell is wrong with you today?" Vegeta exclaimed, crossing his arms sternly.

"I'm sorry, grandpa…I've just got a lot going on…" Lace admitted, wiping the sweat from her face.

"Excuse me? _You_ have a lot going on? Do you think that when we fought cell or buu to save this damn planet we were lounging about beforehand? Do you think that I wasn't busy caring for your own mother when the Tournament of Power nearly wiped out our very existence? You are saiyan _royalty! _You will learn to push your emotions out of the way! Where is your saiyan pride? It better not be a damn boy distracting you from your training!"

Lace sighed and brought her knees up to her chin, burying her face in shame. Vegeta uncrossed his arms and stared at her in disbelief. Never had she refused her training once in her life.

"What is it?" He asked, slightly softer this time.

Lace peeked up at him. She pursed her lips together and tried to hold back her tears. She didn't know how he would react if she was honest, but she couldn't lie to him.

"People at school hate me already. They think I'm a freak. I got angry…they saw my eyes…no one is going to talk to me again…"

Vegeta's face fell. He was quiet for a while. He couldn't find the words to comfort his granddaughter. Lace's training was _always_ her first priority. Her form was impeccable and her technique was superb before they left Japan for their new lives. Vegeta had spent many days and nights lamenting about the state of her younger brother and sister, but he'd never worried at all about Lace. She had a gift. She was talented and powerful. She was the true heir to his thrown.

"Lace, you can't let yourself get distracted by mere humans. A true saiyan warrior never loses focus. You don't know when we'll need to save this sad little planet again…it could be tomorrow."

"I don't wanna save the planet…I just wanna be normal…"

Vegeta slammed his fist into the wall, denting it outwards.

"_Normal?_ You have the gift of royal blood! I've always taught you that you will cast nothing aside! Your strength…your power…it rivals no one! You do _not_ get to complain! You carry both the burden and the privilege of being the strongest fighter in the universe and you shall carry it proudly, dammit!"

Lace sniffled from behind her shaking knees. Her shaky voice was barely audible.

"I don't wanna train anymore…not without…_him_."

Vegeta's jaw practically hit the floor. He inhaled to speak again, but Lace got up and ran for the exit in shame. She slammed her fist down on the door's automatic exit button and rushed into the yard.

Moving was nothing but one big mistake.

An hour or so later, Lace sat quietly at the dinner table and stared down at her full plate of food. She reached into her pocket instinctively, searching for her phone, but groaned and squeezed the seat cushion angrily when she realized it was still gone. Not having a phone was like missing a limb.

"Dad…I really need a new phone." Lace blurted out, interrupting him mid-sentence.

"Come again?" Goten asked with his eyebrows raised.

Bra looked at Brie quickly and cleared her throat. Lace's younger brother Gin turned white. Bulma and Vegeta leaned forward, seemingly anticipating a juicy lecture from the once-goofy and rebellious Goten. Despite her family's rigid response, Lace's expression remained bland and unchanged. Just before their father's head popped off, Brie interjected to defend her clueless sister.

"Daddy, this stupid girl at school totally broke her phone! It _wasn't_ Lace's fault! She would have snapped her neck if Keiko and I weren't there...I mean…we had it totally under control!" Brie sputtered frantically.

Goten took in a sharp breath and set one elbow on the table. He placed his chin in the palm of one hand and cocked his head to the side.

"So, you almost blew your cover on the first day of school and got your fancy, brand new phone destroyed in the process? Please, tell me more about how much you deserve a new one."

Lace stared back at her father confidently. She needed her phone. Besides, it wasn't her fault that Mina broke it. If they hadn't moved, she wouldn't have needed a new phone. Really, it was _his_ fault.

"I hardly think she didn't have herself under complete control." Vegeta said with a mouthful of rice.

"Vegeta, shut up." Bulma growled, smacking his arm, "Let them parent!"

Bra rolled her eyes at Bulma and exhaled loudly.

"Lacey…you can't be so careless. I know I'm not really one to talk, but I'm still your mother and I can't accept this kind of behavior. You're too smart for this, baby."

"Um, okay…" Lace mumbled.

Goten sat back and sighed.

"Finish your food." He said firmly.

"I'm not hungry." Lace answered, glaring at him.

"Lace. Do as I say."

Lace slammed her fist down on the table with tears in her eyes. The family looked shocked, but they knew what was coming. Goten leaned forward and held eye contact.

"Lace. Calm down _right_ now. I'm your father and you do as I say. Eat your damn food."

Brie scooted wearily towards Vegeta, looking paler by the second. Vegeta beamed proudly with a snarky smirk on his face. Lace continued to grow angrier.

"I need to go upstairs." She said in a low, commanding voice, "Now."

"Just go, Lace. Just go." Bra said dismissively waving her hand.

Without another word, Lace got up and stormed away from the table. Goten rose out of his seat, but Bra reached out and grabbed him.

"Don't push her. We don't need another incident…" She whispered, thinking that Lace didn't hear her.

"_Bitch_." Lace muttered under her breath.

Hurt and embarrassed, Lace stormed up the staircase. Now pouring out tears, Lace slammed her bedroom door behind her and began to pace back and forth. She was so angry that she felt like she might burst into a million pieces. Her face was red hot and her body felt numb. She stopped pacing briefly and stood in front of her dresser. She stared into the mirror and leaned closer to examine her glowing, pink eyes. Her pupils were small and the vibrant pink color swirled around like an angry storm.

"_Hideous_." She growled, using every ounce of restraint in her body to avoid punching the mirror.

She turned around and plopped down on her bed. She looked down at the laptop, telling herself not to log on again. He wouldn't let her stay angry. He would calm her down. He always did. She fought the urge for a few minutes, but in the end she couldn't resist. She pulled the laptop close to her and logged onto her messenger app.

"Hey." She typed.

"Hey. You okay?" He answered immediately.

"Fight with my dad."

"Of course…"

Lace rolled her eyes. Why couldn't he just be on her side? He always assumed she started the fights with her dad, but it was _him_. He just didn't _get_ her.

"I'm tired of being treated like a glass vase that's going to break if I get the slightest bit angry!"

"But…you are a glass vase. You know what your power could do. Remember last time…"

Lace gasped in shock. She began furiously clicking away at her keys.

"How could you even say that? We don't talk about that, remember? Besides, why are you always defending him?"

"It's just the truth. Don't read so much into everything, Lacey. You know that I'm always honest with you. You just have SO much to learn."

Lace curled her knees up to her chin and rocked back slightly against her headboard. She couldn't believe that he'd say such a thing. She sat forward and began to type a response, but he began typing again first. She stopped and waited.

"Well I'm going out with a friend today. I'll be on later."

"What friend?"

"Oh, she goes to school with me here."

"She?"

"Lace. Don't. I'll talk to you later, ok?"

Lace slammed the computer shut again and flung herself backwards onto her pillows dramatically. She rolled over and yelled into the covers and let her hot tears wash away her makeup. What was he thinking, anyway? She was the only girl that he should be hanging out with. She boiled with anger. If she hadn't been forced to move, she could still be there with him and he wouldn't need to hang out with other girls. If she only hadn't let her anger go too far before, she would still be there.

Later that night, Lace was still awake and waiting until her family had all fallen asleep. She slipped quietly out of bed, masking her ki to a near non-existent state. Her parents had become accustomed to this at night, mostly because of her dreams. Lace had what the doctors called night terrors for most of her young life. In order to suppress her powers and avoid an explosion, she'd learned to sleep with her ki completely hidden away. They would suspect nothing if they woke and couldn't feel her energy. Besides, she'd locked her door for good measure.

She opened her window slowly. She sat on the bay window sill and slid on one boot. As she laced them up, one of her parents began to stir in the room next door. She felt Bra walk out into the hallway and heard her footsteps drawing near. Was she onto her? Lace hopped back into bed quickly and buried herself in the covers. Her heart raced and she felt herself breathing heavily. If they caught her sneaking out, the consequences would be dire.

She listened to the deafening silence dreading what was about to happen. She felt the cold sweat of fear trickle down her spine and shoot to her feet when the doorknob wiggled. She held her breath.

"Lacey…you okay in there?" Bra asked quietly.

"I'm fine, mom." Lace answered, "I was almost asleep."

"Sorry…sleep well, honey."

Lace relaxed her breathing. She was lucky she didn't leave before Bra checked on her. That might've been very bad. Her heart was still racing, but she decided it was now or never to sneak out.

She lifted herself out of bed, swinging her one, heavy boot over the bed and placing it softly on the floor below. She tip-toed to the window and slid into her second boot. The cool, night air blew in, filling her nostrils with wondrous scent of night time. She lived for the night.

She placed one boot up onto the sill and peeked her head out. She looked both ways as though she was about to cross a busy road. She couldn't risk a neighbor seeing her fly, even this late at night. When she was sure the coast was clear, she floated quietly out of her window and began to ascend towards the stars slowly. She wouldn't hit full speed until she was far enough up to hide the sound from sleeping ears.

She flew towards the city and landed on top of a building at the nearby college campus. There was a party going on at one of the frat houses and everyone seemed to be headed that way. She sat on the edge of the roof and watched the college students with jealousy. As she swung her legs about, some cars drove by and honked at two girls in the street. They laughed and continued drunkenly wobbling home. Lace chuckled to herself and wondered if that would be Keiko and her one day. Brie would probably be passed out somewhere, too.

After some time went by, Lace stared up at the sky. She could barely see any stars in the city. Light polluted the night sky and brightened it just enough to hide the millions of stars she was so used to seeing at her grandmother Chichi's house in Japan. Out in the country, she could see every single star in the sky. She felt sick to her stomach. She missed Japan so much.

The next morning, Lace woke to her alarm sounding and grumbled. She peered around her new room and frowned at the blank, white walls. She intended to paint them soon. Maybe black. She rolled over to her left and swung her legs off the edge of the bed. With a yawn, she rose up and felt the cold, hardwood floor shock her tired feet.

As she trotted over to her dresser, she let her long hair out of its braid and began to brush it rigorously. In her old room, the mirror was decorated with pictures and notes from friends, but this one was empty. They bought all new furniture instead of having anything shipped over. Though this set was very nice, it still wasn't her old stuff. She frowned at her reflection and began to quickly re-braid her hair.

"Just another day…" Lace whispered, "Don't mess this one up, too."

She dragged herself to her closet and slid open the doors to reveal an extravagant layout. She really didn't need all of it, but it was still nice to have. She frowned at her many pairs of jeans and t-shirts. Stupid private school, she thought to herself.

Deflated, she grabbed a clean uniform from one of the hangers and threw it on the bed. She stared down at the navy, green and black plaid skirt and wondered how she could change it enough to fit her style. Some ideas popped into her head. She slid it over her long, tan legs and stared in the full length mirror. Maybe rolling it up a little wasn't the worst thing in the world. It did look pretty long.

When she slid on her white blouse, she noticed that it had some wrinkles in it. She didn't care. She buttoned it up and sighed. To her dismay, her chest was too big for this particular shirt. She rolled her eyes and whole-heartedly blamed her mother for her plentiful bosom. She grabbed a tank top out of her dresser and put it on under the blouse. Problem solved.

The blue tie was an annoying clip-on which made her laugh. Why couldn't they use real ties? How lame, she thought, clipping it to her blouse. She returned to her mirror and outlined her blue eyes with thick, black eyeliner and grey eyeshadow. Hopefully they didn't have any anti-makeup policy. She noticed her dark circles from her lack of sleep and patted her skin with concealer and foundation. Brie was always jealous of Lace's skin. At least Brie couldn't steal her foundation like she did her eyeliner. Lace's skin was the color of her grandfather Vegeta's; Tan and rich. Brie took after their parents with her snow white skin.

She grabbed her book bag and opened her window carelessly, no longer afraid of anyone hearing or seeing her. The crisp morning air woke her senses and again reminded her of her night out. With a smile, she slid her feet back into her black combat boots and took a step up onto the sill. She kicked off from her window and flew high into the sky with ease. The wind rippled past her and whipped her braid back. The feeling was exquisite.

When she got close to the school, something caught her attention. Her heightened, saiyan senses picked up on a ki nearby that seemed very powerful. It was definitely _not_ human.

She stopped and floated in place for a moment, closing her eyes and searching for the direction that it was coming from. When she locked on to the energy's source, it moved. It was suddenly getting closer to her.

Had they sensed her first?

Lace dropped herself down quickly into a tree below and continued watching. She completely cut off her energy from detection and frantically looked around in all directions. The ki was moving faster and growing more powerful. She watched and waited, but nothing happened. Just as she was about to give up, two, tiny black dots shot out of nowhere and flew right over her head. They were so high up in the clouds that she couldn't make out any features at all. Probably looked like jet planes to human eyes, but she could tell it was more than that.

Confused and a little concerned, Lace dropped out of the tree and landed neatly. She brushed off her skirt and stretched her long arms upwards. She was still pretty tired from her night of exploring, but if two people with foreign ki's were flying around, perhaps she should be more careful the next time she went out.

Deciding there was nothing more to do at the moment, she coughed and flipped her braid back clumsily, tripping over a root when she started walking and cursing at it. When she looked up from her feet, a boy in a letterman jacket was standing just a few feet away with his eyes wide open.

"Did you just…were you…flying?" The boy asked.

"What? N-No, I climbed the tree…" Lace answered, still stomping on her foot to make the pain go away from her trip.

"But I saw you. I saw you flying!" He said excitedly, adjusting his small, square glasses.

"Well no one is going to believe you anyway, so…" Lace crossed her arms and scoffed arrogantly.

"I wasn't going to say anything to anyone. They'd think I was nuts…but I think it's cool! Are you an alien or something?" He smiled and cocked his head to the side innocently.

Lace stared at him in shock. How'd he guess so easily? Why was he being so nice? She shook her head and laughed, playing it off. She started walking and patted him on the shoulder. She was much taller than him, but he was clearly younger than her, perhaps a freshman like Lace and Keiko.

"I've gotta get to the library…homework…and…shit. Ya' know." Lace muttered awkwardly.

"That's cool! That's where I'm going, too. The football team meets up in there for study group…I'm kinda one of the tutors. I'm Christopher Evans. It's nice to meet you..."

He smiled widely and held out a hand to Lace. She took her hand off of his shoulder and sighed. His friendliness was infectious.

"I'm Lace. Are you a freshman or something?" She asked.

"Oh, I already know your name. I'm uh…in homeroom and some other classes with your sister, Brie."

Christopher's inquisitive, confident demeanor instantly changed into that of a timid schoolboy the very second he mentioned Brie. Lace rolled her eyes.

"Well, I'll tell her that you said hello, I guess…" Lace said quickly, growing impatient.

"_No!_...No, that's okay. I don't think she knows who I am, ya know…anyway, I won't bother you in the library. Once I help a few of the guys with their homework, I need to do some work on the computers. I have one of them rigged up for this game my parents won't let me play at home and…oh, sorry! I'm sure you're not into games. Girls never are. I'll see you around, okay?"

Christopher bolted for the door, clearly embarrassed. Lace laughed and shook her head. She reached into her pocket for her phone, but was quickly reminded yet again that it didn't exist anymore. She clenched her fists and headed for the library with her head down.

She didn't miss the chance to glance over at the parking lot to her right. No red car to be found. Lace plotted how she might be able to get back at Mina the bully in the near future as she heaved open the huge double doors and stepped into her relatively empty school. Time for some quiet library study. If only she'd gone to bed earlier the night before, though. She was exhausted.

_"Lace!"_

Someone was calling her name, but she couldn't see them. She was in a dark place, surrounded by high power levels and glowing eyes. She inhaled and let out a horrendous scream. Death was near. Her heart was about to rip from her chest. She couldn't handle it for much longer.

_"Hey, wake up!"_

Lace shot up from her chair and knocked the table forward aggressively. It crashed down and toppled over a small bookcase with it. She turned around to see Bibii and Rez behind her looking extremely concerned.

"I'm…I'm sorry!" Lace gasped, confused and out of it.

Rez went to pick up the table without saying anything, but Bibii was frozen in place.

"Are you _okay?"_ Bibii asked in shock.

"What…time is it?" Lace answered, looking around at the horrified faces of other students.

"Well, it's almost lunch period. We were running an errand for our teacher…we thought you were absent today." Bibii answered, relaxing just a bit.

"Damn…my mom's gonna kill me if she finds out I missed classes..."

Rez picked up her chair and adjusted it to the table.

"I saw your cute sister earlier! She was looking for you. Maybe your mom doesn't know?" Rez suggested happily.

"She'll find me. If I was that in distress, then…" Lace was cut off by the library doors flying open.

"_Lace?_ Lace! Oh, _God! _What happened! I felt it getting…whoa, hey guys! I…uh…got a bad feeling when you didn't show up this morning?"

Brie almost blew their already delicate cover in the blink of an eye. Classic.

"I'm fine." Lace answered shortly.

"Woah! How'd you know that she was in here?" Rez asked with amazement.

"Um...just a hunch. You know, Lace is such a bookworm and all…" Brie held out a hand for Lace and yanked her forward, "Let's just get to the lunch room, yeah?"

Their little group started down the hallway. Lace felt mortified to have revealed so much of herself to Bibii and Rez, but they didn't seem all _that_ freaked out. At least they were still walking at her side and not afraid of her.

"You scared the hell outta me." Brie whispered.

"I had a bad day yesterday and I didn't sleep much last night…it's nothing." Lace groaned.

"Out on the town already? C'mon, Lace…you might fool mom and dad but you can't fool me." Brie growled.

"Man, just play it cool and stop nagging me!" Lace snapped.

"I'm not the one flipping over tables in public!" Brie answered quickly.

They entered the lunchroom and sat at the same table from before. Keiko was already there and waved to them eagerly. Lace was surprised when Keiko and Bibii began talking, but learned that they shared the same art class and became friends as well.

"I'm gonna get some ice cream. I have three quarters today!" Rez exclaimed, "I'll bring you some fries, Biibs."

Bibii rolled her eyes and laughed. The girls continued chatting until a stranger approached the table and stopped just in front of Keiko.

"Hey."

A pink-haired, green-eyed popular boy wearing a the same letterman jacket as Christopher from earlier that morning. His dreamy eyes were fixed on Keiko with complete and utter confidence.

"Hi again." Keiko answered flirtatiously, curling the end of her ponytail around her fingers.

He laughed awkwardly and ran his hand through his shaggy hair. Lace had to admit, the guy was smoking hot.

"So I know this is kinda forward or whatever, but judging by how gorgeous you are, I'm guessing I don't have a whole lot of time before I lose my chance. Wanna go out with me this Saturday? Just a movie or something. If you're cool with that."

Keiko's mouth fell open. Brie couldn't believe what she was seeing. Growing up in the same classes as Keiko, she would frequently say that Keiko was never one to be speechless with boys. Brie leaned forward and edged her cousin on, clearing her throat loudly.

"Um, yeah. Yeah that'd be fun." Keiko nodded coolly.

"Sweet. So, I'll see you in fifth period…" He nodded and walked away slowly.

The girls looked around at each other in silence.

"Okay, freaking Ryo just asked me out!" Keiko whispered with her hands flat on the table.

"He did." Brie answered.

"What even…" Keiko started.

The two proceeded to freak out in fits of giggles.

"Wait. Who the shit was that tool?" Lace asked, annoyed at their high pitched squeals.

"Only the most popular guy in ninth grade!" Brie answered.

Bibii shook her head with obvious disapproval.

"That guy is a player. I would be careful if I were you. I remember him from middle school…he was a player in sixth grade and all the _eighth_ graders knew it. If he had that reputation then, imagine now…"

The tension grew slightly. Lace felt awkward. Luckily for them, Rez was bouncing back towards them to break the silence.

"Hey does anyone not want their fries? There's a lot of uneaten fries at this table right now." Rez interjected, rejoining the girls and placing his fingertips lightly on the table, "Seriously. I just bought a brand new plate but now I see some more here? That's it, they're all mine."

The girls laughed. Rez lightened to mood again. He plopped down between Bibii and Brie and continued chatting away. Lace began to ignore them. She glanced in the direction of the pink-haired boy.

He was leaning casually on the back of his chair with one arm on the table and the other hanging at his side lazily. He was laughing and nodding in Keiko's direction, bragging to the other guys. Lace noticed the boy with glasses named Christopher was sitting at the same table and eagerly leaning forward to hear whatever Ryo was saying. She rolled her eyes. Jocks, she thought despairingly. Even though Rez wore a letterman jacket and played football too, he was so different from the rest of the jocks.

On Keiko, Lace and Brie's way home later that day, Bibii happened to be walking in the same direction. Lace wondered why she didn't have a car like most of the other juniors at Ramison Academy, but didn't ask out of respect for her friend. She still felt a little awkward around Bibii after what happened that morning before lunch, so she left her curiosity unanswered.

"So do you have anyone in mind yet?" Keiko asked Brie while swooning over a picture of Ryo on social media, "I got the hot one, so who else is there, really?"

"Well there's this guy...he's on the varsity football team but he's a freshman just like Ryo. He's super cute." Brie shrugged, "He's kinda awkward though. Like, I think he's a little afraid to talk to me."

"There's only one other freshman on the football team…you mean Christopher?" Bibii asked in shock.

"He's so dreamy…" Brie continued, "We shared a textbook in science today. I totally couldn't focus…neither could he, though. Oh, I asked for his number. Was that too forward?"

Keiko shook her head no, but Bibii looked embarrassed and nodded yes. Lace realized she was talking about the same boy from that morning and from Ryo's lunch table.

"I think I met him today...black hair with a purple streak? Glasses?"

Brie giggled.

"He talked about video games. Like, I think he's into them like you are." Lace suggested.

"What? Oh. Em. Gee. Like, match made in heaven, right?" Brie squealed.

Bibii broke away from them on the block before the Son household. She waved and got on her phone, but didn't say where she was going. There was still so much she had to learn about her new friends, but she didn't want to scare anyone off by asking too many questions this early. Lace had a bad habit of being too curious about people back in Japan.

When Lace finally made it to her quiet bedroom, she got on her laptop and immediately clicked on the instant messenger app excitedly. He was online. Her heart fluttered.

"Hey!" She sent quickly.

A slightly longer than normal pause had Lace holding her breath. Finally he replied.

"Hey, I'm really sorry but I can't talk right now."

Lace stared at the screen, "Why?"

"I'm just busy today. College isn't easy, you know."

"It'd be easy for me." Lace answered.

"Okay, yeah I lied. It's easy. But I'm busy with something. Talk later."

Lace couldn't believe her eyes when he logged off without another word. First he was hanging out with another girl and then he was too busy to chat with her? She grimaced and felt her cheeks heating up. She could see her reflection in the slick laptop screen. Her glowing, pink eyes were enough to remind her that she needed to calm down.

Lace slammed her computer shut and stormed out of her room and down the carpeted hallway. She tripped over an edge of the fine, long rug and fell into Brie's door, breaking it in half.

"Aw, what the hell, Lace?" Brie said, startled from her tv and flustered.

Gin, their younger brother, came running down the hallway with his little cello in his hand.

"Are you okay, sis? What'd you do?" The short, blue-eyed eleven-year-old squealed.

"I just tripped, Gin. It's okay." Lace assured him, checking Brie's door over, "Dad's gonna kill me, though."

Gin sighed and let himself into Brie's room. He hopped up onto Brie's bed to watch her play her game after carefully resting the cello on its side on the floor.

"Get out of here you twerp! This game is too violent for you…" Brie said, shooting an oncoming enemy in the face.

"I play this one all the time in my room. It is not too violent for me...we're saiyans, Brie." Gin articulated, rather offended by her assumption.

"You're eleven. You should go practice your cello or something." Brie pushed him off the bed and continued shooting enemies.

"I have been practicing for two hours, thank you very much. The new silent cello mom got me is really cool and all, but I think I'll just go plug it into that amp and play it full blast now." Gin smiled with a devilish, Bra-like smile.

He hopped off of the bed and scampered down the hall, but not before unplugging her console first.

"You stupid brat!" Brie screamed, chasing after him and slipping on the same rug in the hall.

"Whose idea was it to put this stupid, fancy rug in the hallway, anyhow?" Brie yelled.

When Brie returned, Lace was sitting on her sister's bed thinking quietly. Brie sat in her black butterfly chair and restarted her console angrily.

"Did you find him on there?" Lace asked quietly.

"Christopher? Yes. It wasn't hard. His scores are second to mine on most every game on every console. It's incredible." Brie admitted. "Still, he'll never beat me. I'm ahead by far too many points. My game is untouchable."

The doorbell rang downstairs. Since Goten and Bra were out and Vegeta was dragged to a dinner party with Bulma, Lace was the commander-in-chief. She groaned and hopped off of Brie's bed.

The doorbell continued to ring several times. It seemed urgent.

"Who the hell…" Lace whispered as she started down the stairs.


	3. Chapter 3

Lace slammed the front door and pulled out the chain lock. She opened the door again and dragged the lifeless body inside, afraid the neighbors might see it. She reached into his pocket for a wallet to identify him, but couldn't find one. She had no idea who the man could be and his life was literally hanging by a thread.

"Dad's coming, Lace! He said not to let the guy inside…what are you doing?" Gin pleaded.

"I couldn't just leave him laying out there…" Lace admitted, kneeling down on the floor beside him, "People will see him and think we're a house of murderers or something!"

She reached out and moved a strand of brown hair from his blackened eyes. Someone really did a number on this guy, but he seemed to put up a good fight. His knuckles were bloody from fighting back. She let his hair drop onto his face and sighed. He looked so familiar, yet so foreign. Who was he?

Suddenly, they sensed their mother and father's ki not too far away. The three siblings rushed to the front door and felt relief when they saw Goten speed ahead and land in the yard. He rushed to the door and squeezed Lace tightly as Brie and Gin ran straight for Bra.

"Are you alright?" Goten asked frantically.

"I'm fine, but that guy's not." Lace said, pointing at the body.

Goten stared at the limp body with wide eyes. A bloody mess, the man was barely breathing. Goten leaned down and again moved the man's hair from his face. He gasped.

"M-Mikio?" Goten whispered.

Bra grabbed Lace and pulled her away from the man.

"Hey…Goten…" Mikio said weakly.

"What the hell…what happened to you, man?" Goten asked, propping Mikio's head up.

"I knew too much. I knew…too much about…about Lace…and…the boy…"

Mikio's eyes began to glaze over.

"Woah, hold on. Stay with me. Bra, call an ambulance!" Goten demanded.

"No…they took…my power…there's nothing…left…" Mikio whispered.

Bra fumbled with her phone and threw it up to her face.

"Who is _they?_ Are we in danger, Mikio?" Goten pleaded.

He groaned painfully. His blue eyes seemed to be disappearing just as quickly as his skin was paling. With a weak hand, he pointed up at Lace and held his hand there for a moment.

"She…is…"

His head fell and his eyes rolled back into his head. Bra gasped and Goten looked as though he might be sick. Lace cupped her hands over her mouth.

"He…he died!" Lace exclaimed.

"Lace, get your brother and sister in their rooms. Don't let them come back down here until we figure this out. Go!" Goten demanded.

Lace turned and ran up the stairs with Brie and Gin on each hand. When Lace approached her open door, she heard Gin begin to wheeze and struggle to breathe. His little fists were clenched together and his eyes closed tightly. He was beginning to have an asthma attack.

"Grab the inhaler." Lace said calmly.

"Give him to me." Brie answered, pulling one out of her pocket and sitting on the bed, "I always carry one on me."

Lace handed her brother to Brie and watched as the little clone of their mother held him tightly and helped him breathe into the inhaler. She rocked him back and forth and told him it would be okay. Lace was always in awe of how calm she could be in these situations.

"Hey, it's okay, Gin. We're here. Nothing bad will happen to you." Lace comforted.

"Did I hear that man say…you were in danger?" Brie asked seriously.

"Yeah. Not just me, either." Lace said sadly.

Brie heaved an exasperated sigh. The silence said enough between the sisters. Brie grew up in the shadow of Lace, who was always in some kind of danger, so this was nothing new. Being related to the most unusual person in the world wasn't easy.

"Girls! Run! Get Gin out of here! Go!"

Lace's mother's voice screamed in horror. Brie and Lace jumped to their feet. Gin gasped. They heard a loud bang and their fathers shouting. A high power level exploded. Chaos ensued.

Flames burst through Brie's doorway and shot them straight out of the window. Lace grabbed Gin midair and landed in the yard several feet away from Brie. She saw her sister try to run, but another blast exploded and sent them flying even further backwards. She couldn't feel her parent's power levels. She couldn't feel Brie. She realized she no longer was holding her brother in her arms. She was alone.

"Lace!"

Lace's eyes flew open. Her mother and father stood over her in her bedroom. Brie and Gin stood behind them wearily.

"It's happening again…" Brie whispered sadly.

"No! It's not! Don't even say that." Bra insisted, shooing the younger two back to their rooms, "She's okay!"

Goten leaned over Lace and brushed her hair from her cheek. She was sweating profusely. A strand of hair caught in her mouth as she shivered in fear and began to cry. Goten took her hand in his and kissed it.

"It's okay…you're okay…it was just a dream…" He whispered.

"A nightmare…" Lace answered through pursed lips.

Goten lowered his head and sighed heavily. He squeezed her hand and breathed in as though he was about to speak, but the words were lost.

Lace had always been close to her father. Though they fought a lot of the time, she looked up to him in many different ways. He was powerful and strong, but gentle and silly at the same time. He wasn't as goofy as her grandfather Goku, nor as serious as her uncle Gohan or grandfather Vegeta. Even her uncle Trunks was more serious than her father. Goten was the ultimate dad and she couldn't imagine her life without him. His kind eyes and heart of gold were exactly what her mother, a glorified diva, needed to ground her to Earth. Their saiyan blood ran strong, but Goten reminded her that their human side was alive and well. He was the glue that kept them all together no matter how bad things got.

In the morning, Lace decided to go to school despite the strange incident. She couldn't remember if Mikio dying in their house was real or a dream, but she was too scared to ask. Why bother dredging up drama if it wasn't even real? Mikio was a hard enough memory to forget. She hoped she'd never have to see his face again after they moved. She concluded that it had to be a nightmare. He wouldn't show his face after what happened the previous year. Goten and Bra wouldn't dismiss his death in their foyer as a mere inconvenience, either. There was no possible way to rationalize that event in reality.

When Lace arrived at school, banners hung all over the outside of the building announcing a big homecoming dance. Keiko, Lace and Brie stared curiously at the signs while they met their group of friends. They headed down a little hill at the side of the school and found a nice spot to hang out before class. The hill lead to a courtyard of sorts, filled with students buzzing about the dance.

Lace liked getting to school early to sit on the side of a large water fountain in the center of the courtyard to read, but Rez and Bibii were early this time, too. They chose a spot near the cement wall separating the courtyard from the lawn instead of by the fountain. Lace stood above a crouched down Rez who was rummaging through his school satchel. Bibii was laughing uncontrollably. Lace couldn't figure out what Rez was doing, but he motioned for them to have a seat beside him. Lace started to take out a book to read, but Keiko slammed it shut. She whispered something to Rez and he began laughing. They were plotting something together. Bibii braced herself when Rez pulled a freshly baked pie from his bag.

"Take that!" Rez screamed, slamming a pie into the back of a passing teacher's head.

He darted back behind the wall and giggled uncontrollably with Keiko and Bibii. Lace couldn't believe what she'd just seen. He threw two more pies and hit some passing students, but it seemed that people knew what was happening and accepted it like a rite of passage. He looked almost devilish with glee when he slumped down onto the ground laughing triumphantly.

"Is this…normal?" Brie asked through a giggle, watching Rez scout for his next victim, "This is hilarious!"

"Normal doesn't even cover it. He's always getting in trouble for stupid things. No one else on campus would get away with even half of what Rez does, though." Bibii answered nonchalantly, twirling her long ponytail in her finger.

Lace watched him sprint up to the top of the wall again like a cat. He began muttering to himself under his breath and narrowed his gaze to one unsuspecting student. They watched intently, preparing themselves when his arm hoisted the pie up above his head. He tensed, about to throw it. He took a sharp breath in.

"Hey, wanna go to homecoming with me?" Rez asked Bibii out of nowhere.

The girls all gasped. Rez's curious, innocent face peered down at them from his perch. He looked back out into the body of students and teachers before sliding back down the wall with his pie. Apparently he'd lost his target and slid back down to the ground.

"You're not really my type, Rez." Bibii laughed, blushing, "Besides…we're just friends…"

"But homecoming is a place to hang out with friends, right?" Rez asked excitedly.

"Yeah…" She answered.

"Perfect! You're a girl and you're a friend. It'll be fun!"

Rez bounced back up to the top of the wall and continued scouting for victims. Bibii blushed violently and leaned against the wall.

"I guess you're going to homecoming with Rez." Brie said flatly.

"I guess." Bibii shrugged.

Disinterested, Lace turned her attention away from her friends. She reached into her purse and pulled out the new phone her grandmother left on the kitchen counter for her that morning. It was fancy and confusing to figure out. Lace hated breaking in new phones. She scrolled through her already-there contacts and hit his name. She wondered if he was even awake. She had to tell him about the man in their foyer.

"Rez, no!" Bibii shouted, startling Lace back to the present.

Lace looked up from her cell phone quickly and saw exactly who Rez's intended target was. She felt her mouth fall open, but before they could stop him, Rez hurled a pie full speed towards their biggest, mint-colored enemy.

The impact could be heard from one end of campus to the other. Pieces of crust and bright red cherries bolted into the air. Her wild hair flew backwards as she fell, sending her straight into a trashcan the sat behind her. The group of giddy girls around her began to scream and run around in circles as though unable to help her. All that could be seen was her pink heels sticking out of the top, thrashing back and forth. Several football players ran to her aid quickly.

"Holy shit, Rez!" Keiko yelled, grabbing Bibii, who looked mortified.

"Ha! I finally got her!" Rez celebrated before taking off in the other direction without another word.

"We gotta get out of here!"

Bibii took off after Rez in a hurry and left the three saiyan girls standing alone. Brie and Keiko couldn't help but laugh it off.

"Did they just ditch us?" Lace asked, still holding her phone in front of her.

"Let's get outta here before she gets out of that trash can!" Keiko laughed, grabbing Lace's hand, but it was too late.

"You! You stupid idiots! Do you know what you've done? How dare you!" Mina growled angrily, pointing at Lace.

Keiko yanked on Lace, but Lace stood her ground.

She took a step towards the angry harlot and growled, "Why would I waste a perfectly good pie on _you?"_

Lace pulled her wrist from Keiko's grip and crossed her arms, carefully keeping her phone hidden. She held her chin high, full of the saiyan pride that Vegeta had instilled deep within her.

"You bitch!" Mina screamed before lunging forward and tackling Lace.

Lace laughed and shoved the girl to the ground.

"Me? Well, yeah. I'm a bitch. But what would that make you? Let's see…"

Mina looked up and spit out a piece of pie crust. She rose up and held up her fists like she was ready to fight. Lace couldn't help imitating her. Just then, the headmaster of the school came running out in a panic. She was waving her arms and shouting like crazy.

"Both of you, in my office! Now!"

Lace lowered her hands and scoffed at Mina. They followed the headmaster upstairs quietly while the huge group of students that witnessed everything stood silently watching.

Minutes later, Lace and Mina sat in the headmaster's office awaiting their punishments. Of course, Rez didn't come forward as the original aggressor, so all faults fell onto Lace's shoulders. She sat twiddling her thumbs and grumbling each time the headmaster lectured on behavior. What did _she_ know about anything? Her wrinkled face and disturbing, old lady mustache gave Lace a stomach ache. She didn't want to listen to her. She didn't care.

Suddenly, a power level approached. She knew what was coming. She braced herself as the door to the headmaster's office flew open.

"Excuse me, sir! I'm in the middle of something!" The old, grumbling woman cried.

"And I was in the middle of my morning training! How you could think to call over something so stupid is completely beyond me!"

Lace beamed at her grandfather Vegeta's angry, saiyan eyes.

"This girl…Is this the one who broke your phone?" Vegeta asked Lace.

"Yes." Lace answered smugly.

"I'd say the debt has been repaid, then. I'll be taking my granddaughter home." Vegeta growled.

Mina gasped angrily in the direction of the headmaster, who flew out of her seat and pointed.

"Just wait one minute, sir! She must face disciplinary action!"

Vegeta turned around and approached the woman's desk slowly. She lowered back into her seat and gulped when Vegeta stopped just in front of her. The silence pierced Lace's ears.

"If you don't want my family buying this establishment out from under you…I suggest that you let this go…unless you do want your surprisingly generous donation from Capsule Corporation to suddenly disappear."

The headmaster started to sweat and cleared her throat. She looked anxiously at Mina, who was completely in shock, and then back at Vegeta.

"Fine. Take her."

Mina started to protest, but a stern glare from Vegeta shut her mouth quickly.

When they exited into the hallway, Vegeta started walking away and heading for the exit. Lace ran after him in her heavy boots and grabbed his shirt, but he swatted her hand away. He turned and looked at her with disappointed eyes.

"Your father told me about your…incident…this morning." Vegeta said in a stern whisper.

"Yeah…it was just a dream…it wasn't…I didn't…" Lace stuttered.

"We've been over this. You can't lose control. First you slack on your training and not a day later, you're slipping back into old patterns. I won't allow it, Lace. I expect you in the gravity chamber at six o'clock sharp tonight. You will not disappoint your race and throw away everything we've worked so hard to achieve!"

Lace blushed uncontrollably and stared at the floor. He was right. As he rushed away from her and out the door, she felt saddened and lonely. Vegeta was the last person she meant to make angry. Why was life so difficult?

"Hey!" Keiko squealed from across the hall, "Was that grandpa? You're in so much trouble later!"

"I know…" Lace admitted.

"Whatever. The bitch deserved what was coming to her." Keiko shrugged.

"Hey!"

A low, angry voice boomed from down the hall. Keiko and Lace both gasped. The hot football jock named Ryo ran towards them and stopped with a scowl on his face. His jade-green eyes looked demonic. He pulled Keiko away from Lace and covered his mouth with one hand. He shook his head back and forth, almost laughing as he tried several times to start a sentence. Finally he spoke up.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He stared intently at her.

"Wh-what do you mean? We were just messing around. Besides, I didn't throw anything at her." Keiko began defensively.

"Mina didn't deserve that!"

Ryo's words stung Lace. Mina didn't deserve a pie in the face? How juvenile. Of course she deserved that and a whole lot more.

"What do you mean? She's a total bitch! Everyone knows that!" Keiko's words grew stronger.

"A bitch?...Oh…you know who I think the bitch is?" Ryo's stance changed to that of a dominant male competing for first place in the argument.

"Oh? Who? Say it. Just say it! I'm not afraid of you!" Keiko growled, standing straight up and poking his chest.

"That cousin of yours…She's causing all sorts of problems all over the school without even trying! Maybe you should think twice the next time she tries some shit around here that she doesn't understand! Maybe you should find a new crowd! I can't believe I thought…just forget it! Oh, and our date is totally off!" Ryo said dramatically.

He stormed away towards the gaggle of girls that Mina was with that morning, leaving Keiko in furious tears. Lace's mouth hung open. Keiko turned around to her with a straight face.

"Lace…just…I'll talk to you later…"

Keiko desperately tried to hide her embarrassment and anger, but Lace knew she was furious. She plowed away from her cousin, bumping shoulders with her as she went, leaving Lace alone.

Slowly, three weeks passed by after the pie incident. Though Keiko and Lace made up and Rez had since given up his pie throwing career, Lace was completely without privileges. She felt isolated from the world around her and lonely each night she returned to her empty bedroom. She'd been grounded forever since her parents found out about the fight, leaving her unable to communicate with her other half across the world in any way. She hoped that he'd assumed that she was grounded, but knowing him, he wouldn't put two and two together. She decided that it was probably just time to move on.

"Lace, breakfast." Bra's voice echoed from downstairs.

Lace grumbled and pushed herself up from her bed. She walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Bra had prepared eggs and bacon for them. Gin was sitting quietly and studying over some sheet music while munching on a piece of toast. He smiled at his big sister when she sat on the stool beside him.

"Morning." Lace mumbled, still half asleep.

"I convinced mom to let you off the hook today." Gin announced proudly, swinging his feet.

"What? How?" Lace gasped, suddenly fully awake.

"Well, I really want to go to this concert tonight. I can't if you are home because then someone has to be here with you. Dad has something with uncle Trunks and uncle Tarble…so, I convinced them to let you and Keiko go to that game thing and cheer on Brie!"

Lace felt a huge amount of respect wash over her for her pint-sized brother. He had his priorities in order and definitely was looking out for his sisters. He was so innocent. Her grandmother Chichi was always praising him for being just like their uncle Gohan at that age. Apparently, the smart gene ran rampant in both sides of her family. She smiled and began eating her breakfast silently with a dopey smile. Sure enough, Bra approached her with her cellphone and set it down on the counter in front of her daughter.

"Lace, I'm giving you this phone back so that you can call me when you get to the game tonight. I expect you home by ten o'clock sharp, no exceptions. If you can do that, I'll let you go to that school dance tomorrow, but only if you agree to look out for your sister when you get there." Bra said sternly, handing Lace's phone to her, "Do not do anything stupid, or even your brother won't be able to redeem you."

Bra winked at Gin and hurried him to finish eating. Lace turned on her phone excitedly to reveal several messages and texts from just the number she'd hoped to see. He'd figured out that she was grounded, but continued to send her silly things and share his daily stories with her anyway. She wanted to float away into the sky as she read over his random thoughts and pictures. His eyes seemed to transcend the distance and jumped right out of the phone at her in a final picture he'd sent just the previous night. He was smiling and sitting in a library, reading a book she recognized as the one she'd left for him before the move. It was a long book about love and betrayal, but a good one none-the-less. He always read everything she suggested. She swooned and rested her phone against her forehead.

In the hallways at Ramison that day, Lace floated about in a dream-state with Keiko. Keiko didn't ask, but seemed to know already what was going on. She smiled at her loopy cousin and stopped at the water fountain. She took a quick drink and then stared up at Lace with happy eyes.

"I have a huge surprise for you tonight!" Keiko chirped.

"I hate surprises, though." Lace crossed her arms and leaned against the brick wall of the gym lobby.

She hated being so negative. She could feel herself creating negative energy, but it couldn't be helped. She was still bitter that the love of her life was only with her on a phone screen.

"You'll love this one, bitch." Keiko poked Lace's arm and took off.

"What the…" Lace exclaimed, waving her arms as Keiko ran.

She was so grateful that the two had fixed their little feud over Ryo. They were best friends since Keiko learned to talk, even though Brie was the same age as Keiko and Lace was older. They also weren't nearly as involved in the strict training regimen that Lace grew up with. While Brie and Keiko played with dolls, Lace beat up her grandfather. It was the perfect life until Lace began to notice everything she'd missed out on.

Finally, the evening the whole school had been waiting for arrived. The homecoming game was just an hour from starting. Lace began to dread the dance that would be taking place only 24 hours from the game time. She felt a tug on her heart. No one was even worth asking, but she had to find someone tonight or she would just look stupid with all the happy couples. She didn't even have an outfit picked out. Actually attending the dance had long been cast aside after the incident three weeks prior.

"Are you excited?" Bibii asked, hanging on Lace's arm.

"This better be as exciting as you say it is." Lace pouted, "I hate sports."

"Stop being so lame!" Keiko was growing annoyed with Lace's constant state of grumpiness.

They entered the large cement stadium and found seats near where the band would be sitting. Lace knew that Brie wouldn't turn around to look at her sister very often, but she still felt good about herself knowing that she was there to support Brie's flute playing, if nothing else. Gin would approve.

Soon enough the game began with a bang. The band was loud and the cheerleaders were all bouncing around. Mina was at the center with her giant hair flying all over the place and her skirt way too short. Keiko told Lace to stop making faces at her, but Lace couldn't help it. Any time the green demon caught her eye, she had to scowl. She wondered which poor boy got her stamp of approval for the homecoming dance. It had to be one of the football players.

"Crap…I'll be right back, guys!" Keiko said before tip-toeing down the bleachers.

"Parents checking in?" Bibii asked.

She'd been relatively quiet all night, distracted by her phone. Keiko was gone before she could hear Bibii's question.

"I don't know what's up with her. She said she had some surprise for me…maybe it's that." Lace answered.

Bibii shrugged and returned her gaze to the game. She stood with the crowd when a player scored a touchdown, but Lace sat awkwardly and rolled her eyes. This was so not her scene.

Finally, Keiko returned with a huge smile and plopped herself down between the girls.

"What's with the smile?" Bibii asked.

"A couple of reasons, but I totally just asked this random ass guy to homecoming and he said yes!" Keiko boasted proudly.

"What? Who?" Lace couldn't believe her cousin's luck.

"A junior guy. He looks like a total, real-life bishie!" Keiko laced her fingers and swooned.

Lace rolled her eyes, "A junior? I wonder if I know him..."

"Probs not. Besides, your surprise is here and about to blow your friggin mind." Keiko laughed.

"Oh?" Bibii asked, leaning forward excitedly.

"Close your eyes, Lace." Keiko said.

Lace closed her eyes and felt Keiko place one arm on her shoulders and wave with the other. She waited with muffled giggles for a few seconds before she spoke again.

"Now open them." Keiko laughed.

Lace slowly opened her eyes and laughed nervously.

"What the hell, Keiko…this better be good!" Lace smirked.

She looked up where Keiko was pointing. She stared for a moment, not believing what she was seeing. She smiled, frowned, smiled again and then felt tears flowing down her face. It wasn't real. It couldn't be real. He was not standing in front of her at a football game. He was not in America.

"C-Cody?" Lace whispered.

A tall, pale guy in all black with nearly white hair and orange eyes was standing on the landing separating the two main sets of seats in the stadium. He waved and smiled his best smile.

"Lacey!" Cody called happily with outstretched arms.

"Oh, my God!" Lace screeched.

Time suddenly stopped moving. She flew out of her seat, stepping on several people in the process. She practically crawled up the stairs to get to him. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't hear the screaming of people around her that were cheering on the game. She couldn't feel her feet hitting the concrete floor so hard that it might crack under her force. The only thing she could feel was a bursting excitement for the only person in the world that could bring her back to life.


	4. Chapter 4

The latest hip-hop music surged through the gymnasium at Ramison Academy. The dancefloor was lit up with flying lights and reflective disco balls, as well as vast bunches of glowing balloons at every corner. Students crowded around each other in a hot mess of dirty dancing while the sheltered or awkward kids sat in the bleachers watching quietly. Lace stood on the outskirts of the dancefloor with a red face and wondered why none of the teachers were saying anything about the dry humping. The heat was radiating from the hundreds of hot bodies like a sauna and making it ten times worse to watch. Things might get a little too warm with some of the more tenacious couples pretty soon.

Lace peered around the sparsely populated edges of the gym and saw her favorite teacher, the funky science guru, over by the punch bowl bobbing along to the beat happily. Above her, the indoor running track that wrapped around the top of the gym was lined by hundreds of pink, blue, and white lights. The place looked like a night club, or at least what she thought a night club might look like inside.

"You wanna dance?" Cody asked enthusiastically at her side, "I feel kinda dumb just standing here. I'm a little…uh…older than everyone."

Lace rolled her eyes and smiled, "No one can tell how old you are with your baby face."

"Yeah, they can." A voice from behind them snarked.

Lace and Cody turned around to find Keiko standing behind them in a light blue, skin-tight mini-dress. Her hair was down and straight along her shoulders. A dark purple lilac held part of her bright purple hair away from her face on one side. Lace felt her jaw drop. Her cousin was indeed a gorgeous girl, just like her mom and grandma were in their prime. She felt a little jealous. The apparent beauty was never really Lace's thing.

Keiko reached out and grabbed Lace's arm forcefully. She began yanking her in the opposite direction, but Cody protested angrily.

"Sorry, I'll bring her right back! That tall guy over there is with us…go talk to him for a sec."

Keiko pointed to Rez, who waved absent-mindedly and lead Lace to the punch bowl table several feet away.

"I can't believe he actually came. You guilted him into it since you were date-less, huh?" Keiko laughed.

"How did you even convince him to come to America in the first place? I never thought I'd see him here…I thought we'd have to go to him." Lace asked curiously.

"He's on break from college, that's all. He said he wanted to see the new house and stuff. Besides, why are you so excited about it? He's so lame." Keiko grumbled, "He's just your cousin."

Lace stared down at the floor and took a cup shakily from the stack for some punch. She tried to fight off the impending flush of red flooding onto her cheeks.

"I just missed him…that's all. We trained together every day of our lives until the move. It was hard, ya know? It just sucked…I'm glad he's here."

Keiko sighed and checked over her glittery, blue nails carefully.

"Well, I hope he cheers you up. You've been a total weirdo the past few weeks. I overheard grandpa telling my dad that you were slacking with training the other day, too. I knew it _had_ to be stupid Cody. He always brought out the best in you in that gravity room. Besides, training is like, your _life_. If you don't take it seriously, grandpa might start hounding me to get more serious about it and let's face it, I have _way_ more important things to do right now…like my super-hot date."

Lace rolled her eyes and took a sip of punch with a smirk. She looked around, but couldn't identify who Keiko was talking about, "Where is he?" She asked, "I wanna see him."

"He's that tall blunette over there. He's the quarterback of the football team. Super popular. I think he may be my ticket to the in-crowd. He's not a junior like I thought, though. He's just a sophomore…so it's totally not _that_ weird."

Lace searched around and saw who she was referring to. He was rather thin for a football player, but his striking, green eyes could be seen clearly from across the dancefloor. He was flashing his bright smile at Keiko, who giggled and hid her face. Lace wondered if this guy would be around very long. If he was, that would mean making friends with him. Lace wasn't very good at making new friends when they were nothing but popular, douche-bag jocks.

"I'm gonna go dance with him. Catch you later?" Keiko suggested, flipping her hair.

Lace nodded awkwardly. She looked back to where they left Cody and found him chatting away with Rez and Bibii. He seemed to be fitting right in, regardless of the seven-year age gap their friends had no idea about.

In truth, Cody's face did look extremely young. Lace was sure that this was due to his almost-white hair. He hated being outside because he always got sunburned. He was one step away from being albino. His orange eyes always looked bright and happy, in addition to his slender yet muscular build. He didn't look twenty-three.

Lace looked down at her feet and blushed violently. What was she doing? He _was_ her cousin. She had to stop looking at him like he was a piece of meat. What would people think?

"Hey!"

Lace turned to her side and found Brie bouncing up and down to the music. Her knee-length, poofy skirt looked adorable on her short little body. She was hyper beyond belief and couldn't hold still at all.

"How's it going?" Lace asked, laughing.

"Did you notice who I'm here with?" Brie asked proudly, "He's so friggin _hot!"_

"Yeah, yeah…I guessed you'd end up going with Christopher. He's on the football team. What's he doing with a band geek like you?" Lace joked through slanted eyes.

"Just because I'm in marching band and play a lot of video games doesn't make me a geek. My grades are pretty horrible lately…Besides, he's _so_ sweet!" Brie said, distracted by the flying lights, "Oh, watch out."

"What?" Lace asked, quickly cut off by an enormous weight on her shoulders.

"Lacey!" Rez squealed, "This guy is awesome! Bring him around more often!"

"What the hell! You could have broken my shoulders!" Lace complained, rubbing her right shoulder and pouting.

Cody smiled and walked over to stand next to Lace. She felt the heat in her cheeks rise and looked down again. Why did he make her feel this way? Why couldn't she look him in the eye like she always had before? Why was everything so different now?

"So I'm off to dance more. Make way, peasants!" Brie interrupted, pushing past them with shaking hips and arms in the air.

She hopped out onto the dancefloor and found Christopher, who began twirling her around and dancing like a pro. The two made quite the pair as the crowd parted to allow them into the middle.

"Damn…that freshman has _moves_." Rez said, clearly impressed. "I've seen him around. He's on the varsity team, right? Maybe I should adopt him…like…a sidekick. Oh, my God! I'm officially going to have a sidekick! Like…a superhero! _Hell_ to the yeah!"

Rez bounded forward into the crowd and walked right up to Brie and Christopher. He tapped Christopher on the shoulder and held out his hand to Brie. Christopher looked nervous, but before he could answer, Brie took his hand and continued bouncing all over the place. Rez started his own little dance moves and the circle of people closed in around them. Lace smacked her forehead.

"Don't you wanna dance?" Cody asked for a second time.

"Sure…but I'm super thirsty. Let me get another drink first."

Lace hurried away from him. She approached the punch table quickly and poured herself a cup. A girl next to her startled her with a sneeze.

"Bless you." Lace said, not making eye contact.

"Thanks! Didn't mean to scare you. I've been sneezing all day. I think it's these crazy allergies." A sweet, high-pitched voice said.

Lace recognized her accent and smiled. This girl was clearly from Japan.

"Where are you from?" Lace asked nervously, taking a sip from her cup.

"I'm from Tokyo, Japan! My family moved here this year. I've heard that you're also from Japan…West City, right? That's so cool!"

Lace smiled. Perhaps making friends was easier than she thought.

"Yeah. I'm Lace Son. Nice to meet you." Lace held out her hand.

The girl bowed, "I'm Chai Sage. Nice to meet you as well."

Lace retracted her hand and laughed, bowing quickly and rubbing the back of her head. How rude of her to think of shaking hands before bowing with another Japanese person. Chai didn't seem to mind and smiled sweetly, admiring Lace's jet black dress.

"You look so pretty! Are you here with friends or a date? I'm here alone, myself. I don't really know anyone yet."

Lace looked around and saw Cody dancing with Rez and Bibii. Rez had returned Brie to Christopher and was throwing Bibii all over the floor with his moves. She looked like a ragdoll. Lace suddenly felt bad for ditching them and sighed.

"I'm here with a date and all my friends. I should probably join him out there. Wanna come?"

"No! No, no…I'll wait here. I think…if a guy wants to dance with me, he'll ask. I'm too shy to join a big group like that!" Chai laughed awkwardly and crossed her arms.

Lace shrugged and nodded, leaving the girl as she found her. She felt a little hold on her chest release as she left. Talking to people she didn't know made her anxiety sky rocket.

When Lace finally approached her friends on the dancefloor, she grabbed Rez's arm and stopped him from flinging Bibii onto the floor again. She thanked Lace and straightened up, obviously annoyed by his usual antics, but still laughing and playing along. She grabbed Lace's hands and began to dance around, forcing Lace to at least bob to the beat in response.

Suddenly the music stopped. The crowd looked up at the DJ booth. It was propped up high on a stage surrounded by black metal columns with lights shooting in all directions. He leaned forward on his turntable and pointed at the students, welcoming them to the homecoming and wishing them a great night. He paused before continuing, making Lace feel suddenly uneasy. Lights flew towards the path between two sets of bleachers that was decorated with flowers down the railing.

"And now, let's give a warm welcome to our homecoming king and queen!"

Lace's jaw dropped. The floods of raspberry colored satin and mint green hair in spirals around her perfect face sent cheers through the crowd. Her sparkling white teeth glimmered in the spot light as she waved to the student body like a real queen. Everyone was cheering and hollering as though she was a celebrity. Lace rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. A serious hate coursed through her when she realized who the king was. She looked around frantically for Keiko.

"Mina and Ryo!"

"Ryo came here with Mina? Oh, that jerk…" Bibii said coarsely, crossing her own arms like Lace.

"Who are those sparkly bitches?" Cody asked with a smirk, "Bad blood between you guys, I suspect?"

"Bitches, man. Bitches." Rez answered, shaking his head.

Bibii smacked his arm, bothered by his language.

Mina waved to the crowd one last time and gestured for the DJ to start the music again. Everyone returned to dancing as the power couple hit the dancefloor themselves. Lace turned and searched across the many faces in the gym again. This time, she found her cousin's sad face rather quickly.

Keiko was standing on the other side of the gym with her date, who was talking to some guys near them. Keiko stared at Ryo and watched him with burning eyes. She sighed. Keiko was definitely the jealous type, but this time was different. She barely knew the guy yet she seemed fixated on him. Her date must not be keeping her entertained.

"Lacey?" Cody asked, poking Lace's side.

"Oh, don't call me that in public, Cody! That's my kid name…people here don't know me by anything but Lace." She snapped, annoyed.

"But…you're not even dancing with me. I flew all the way here from Japan. I wanna dance!" He answered in a whiny voice, smiling and pawing at her hands.

"Ugh, fine. It's just that Keiko…"

"My sister is fine. Why are you worried?" Cody planted a brotherly slap on Rez's shoulder as Bibii led Rez away.

"No…I think she really liked Ryo. He asked her out on our first day here…then I got in a fight with that girl he's with. Keiko defended me but Ryo hasn't spoken to Keiko since and blamed her. I heard that he and Mina dated in middle school or something…it's hard to believe they're freshmen. Do you know that her parents bought her a car and let her drive to school? She's like…what…fourteen? Freaking ridiculous. I don't even have a car…"

"Want me to swipe one from my dad's collection?" Cody joked.

"I'm _serious_, Cody!" Lace pouted.

"Okay, go and make sure that she's okay. I'll just…mingle…yeah…hurry back, okay? I want to spend time with you tonight. You know how much I love to party." Cody winked at her and disappeared into the crowd towards Rez.

Focused on her best friend, Lace rushed across the gym. Keiko was now sitting on the bleachers. Her date was trying to get her up, but she was in one of her defiant moods. She pushed him away and yelled at him. No one could hear them over the music, but the look on their faces was enough to show that they weren't getting along. Lace walked faster. She felt the urge to fly over to them, but resisted, reminded by a phone that was out near her taking a video of some students dancing. She didn't need someone filming her saiyan powers.

Just before she got over to them, Keiko's date was seated next to her on the bleachers. He put his arm around her shoulder and comforted her. She began to cry softly and hid her face on him. Lace stopped and watched them for a moment. Keiko looked safe. Was this guy _actually_ a good guy? She saw the guys he'd been talking to start to make fun of them. Keiko's date held up his middle finger to them, got up and walked Keiko out into the hallway. Lace relaxed. Maybe she could just enjoy the night instead of worrying about her younger cousin. She seemed to have everything under control, drama and all.

Lace rejoined the crowd and found Cody easily. He was spinning Brie around as they both laughed hysterically. Christopher and Rez were having a dance-off in the center of a circle of students. Bibii clapped her hands and cheered Rez on. Lace joined her and started a clap-chant with other students.

Rez was looking good. She couldn't help but notice how attractive he was despite his weird and annoying tendencies. He had the body of a saiyan. Lace couldn't ignore that. She was attracted to fit men.

When the dance-off song ended, the crowd cheered loudly for both guys, who shook hands. Rez started to approach Bibii with a cocky grin, but looked away to the bleachers and froze. Lace and Bibii turned to see what caught his eye.

A petite girl in a deep red gown was standing alone. Her brown eyes watched everyone happily, though she looked like she wanted to join in. Her honey-colored hair was pulled into a beautiful updo with curls hanging down on each side. A braid wrapped around her head, pinned in place by two large, white lilies. She looked like an angel as she shimmered in the lights. Lace smiled and sighed. They would be so adorable together. She was so small that she looked almost like she was too young to be there, but her makeup aged her face beautifully. She was a perfect match for the macho man, Rez.

"_Wow_…" Rez whispered.

"Um, hello? Your date is right here, stupid…" Bibii grumbled.

"Yeah…you're right…uh…" Rez straightened up and cleared his throat.

"I'm totally kidding. You can go talk to her. I need a break from all this crazy dancing anyway. Go." Bibii shooed him away and winked before heading to the bleachers for a rest.

When Rez floated off in a daze, Cody turned to Lace and held out his hand.

"Dance now?" He asked.

"Yeah, yeah. Dance now." Lace smiled reluctantly.

She'd danced with Cody before at weddings and other things, but this reminded her of something else. The way he pulled her waist into his and the way he was swaying back and forth was bringing up feelings she'd cast aside. She was flushed and hot when he turned her around and started dancing with her from behind. She wanted to pull away, but she couldn't seem to stop. She was having more fun than she'd had since the move. Just let it go, Lace thought to herself.

When the dancing started to die down, Brie ran up to Lace and begged her for a group photo. Though she didn't like being in pictures, her sister's nagging was hard to turn away. She found Rez easily in the crowd. His huge hair stood out as he towered over most of the other students. Lace noticed that he was actually dancing with Chai, though it was not the same crazy dancing that he inflicted upon Bibii. They were dancing slowly and talking quietly, laughing occasionally. Rez was being gentle and kind…nervous, even.

"Rez!" Lace called, "Picture?"

"Hell yeah!" Rez answered.

He grabbed Chai at the waist and pulled her over to the group.

"Hey, Lace." Chai smiled.

"Hey." Lace answered, feeling anxious again.

"You know each other? _Boom_, small world, right?" Rez laughed.

Once they gathered everyone up and stood at the edge of the dancefloor, they started positioning themselves for the group shot. Pink and blue lights shot around the room while the students continued their never ending party. Brie asked Lace if her hair looked okay and hopped back over to Christopher. He was fixing his crooked, pink tie. Lace found it hilarious that Brie made him match her pink and black dress, but he looked like he didn't mind in the slightest.

"Okay!" Keiko's date shouted, "I'm gonna take it in three…two…"

"Wait! Don't you wanna be in the picture, too?" Brie asked him.

"Nah, it's cool. Ready?"

His answer was a little off. Lace noticed Keiko roll her eyes and cross her arms. What happened there?

They took the picture and decided that it was time to go. Lace tore Brie away from Christopher before he could kiss her. Brie fumed angrily the entire way home. Keiko joined in on the discontent, but her date was following them anyway. He walked happily at her side chatting with Cody. Lace took Keiko by the arm and pulled her back from their little group.

"What's going on with you guys? Also…what the hell is his name?"

"I don't know, Lace…I'm jealous, okay? I wanted to come with Ryo, not some random dude. And…Jake asked about your little stunt with Mina like it was hilarious. I think he only agreed to come with me because of you."

Lace sighed, "He's walking home with us. He's obviously into you."

"Not likely." Keiko grimaced.

Lace walked silently for the rest of the way. When they reached the Son house, Brie rushed inside to call Christopher. Keiko and Jake kept walking towards her house with a slight wave good-bye, but still didn't speak.

Then silence.

There he was. Cody stood before Lace, alone. He smiled softly, but didn't say anything. His glowing eyes stared down at her with adoration. She felt hot, like her body temperature was suddenly on fire. Just his eyes alone drew her in like a magnet unable to pull away from their opposite.

"Just what are you staring at, Ms. Son?" Cody smirked.

Lace felt her stomach flip backwards excitedly. Without thinking, she lurched forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. She couldn't bring herself to let go, but why couldn't she talk to him anymore? She was afraid to even ask how his flight to the USA was. She realized then that she'd barely spoken to him all night. She couldn't let him leave without telling him how much it hurt to leave him. She had to tell him how she felt and how much she loved the very sight of him. But just as she opened her mouth to speak, his hand rose up and caressed her cheek. She closed her eyes and felt that warm, delicious feeling in the pit of her stomach rise up. The air left her lungs and she shivered under his touch.

"Meet me in an hour…" He whispered.

"Where?" She breathed back.

"I'm staying at a hotel for now, not my parents'. I'm at the Westin Hotel down the street…the really tall one. It's nice, dad's paying for it…you'll like it. We can meet in the lobby and talk. I'm not ready to end tonight. I think we should talk about some stuff."

"The Westin? That's one of the nicest hotels around here!" She gasped.

"It's real nice. See you there? Lobby. One hour. Oh, and uh…bring a bathing suit, yeah? The pool is _sick_."

Lace paused and watched him as he turned to leave. His fingers slid slowly across her cheek as they left her skin, leaving behind a warm sensation where they'd only just been resting. With a small, sweet smile and blink of his eyes, he turned and took off into the sky like a blazing, yellow rocket.

"I'll be there." Lace said breathlessly.


	5. Chapter 5

Lace sat at her vanity staring at her reflection. She slowly began to undo her long braid. Her usually tan skin was flushed red and her eyes were glowing a soft purple. She couldn't help but skip a few breaths when she pictured his eyes staring into her own when he asked her to meet him at the Westin. What did he want to talk about?

She began to run her brush through her thick, wavy hair. She imagined his touch on her cheek. An intense shiver ran all the way down to her toes. Completely flustered, she set down the brush and began redoing her braid tightly. She had to decide on an outfit to wear to meet him. She couldn't be wandering around town in her shimmering black dress.

A soft knock to her door startled her from her private thoughts. Her mother opened the door and peeked inside with a gentle smile.

"Hey…did you have fun?"

Bra was in her red bath robe and slippers with her hair in a messy bun. She was going to go to bed soon, meaning her father was already asleep. Bra was always the last one to bed.

"Yeah. It was really fun. I think Brie had even more fun, though…she was the center of attention all night!"

Bra laughed and nodded, further acknowledging that Brie was in fact the reincarnation of herself. Lace sometimes felt a little jealous of her younger sister. It was easy to disregard Lace's own uniqueness and yearn for the simple, fun-loving life that Brie led. Bra seemed to notice Lace's change in demeanor and changed the subject quickly.

"I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning, Lacey. Thank you for coming home on time…Please go to bed soon so you get a good night's rest. I love you."

"Me too, mom." Lace answered, staring into space.

Bra closed the door gently, leaving Lace in silence again. She pushed her stool out from under the vanity and stood up slowly.

"Just pick a damn outfit, Lace." She said to herself.

She wandered over to her closet and stared aimlessly at the cluster of clothing on hangers. They weren't organized by any specific detail or style, so she began to dig around for something to inspire her.

She decided to go with her favorite, white jeans with a black stud-belt rather quickly. She slid them over her extremely long legs and checked her backside in the mirror. She smirked, admiring her own physique shamelessly. If there wasn't another benefit to spending all of her free time training, her body was well worth it.

When she returned to her closet to choose a top, she first took a simple black tank into her hands and slid it over her head. It went with most everything she had, but she felt weird letting her cleavage hang out. Most of her baggy, flowy shirts would reveal too much without the tank.

Finally after choosing an off-the-shoulder, black top, she laced up her usual combat boots and returned to her vanity. It was almost time to meet up with him and she was getting very nervous. She took out her earrings from the dance and replaced them with tiny, silver chains that dangled into spikey studs. One of them stretched up and attached to her cartilage. She finished her look with a black choker and turned to face her escape hatch: The window.

She heard the grandfather clock on the main floor strike midnight. She checked her phone and saw he'd texted a smiley face. She felt the anxiety bubble up from her stomach again. Her cheeks flushed. It was now or never. She grabbed her red string bikini from the top drawer of the dresser and opened the window.

Carelessly she rushed outside and floated up towards the stars. She knew she should be more careful, but she was too nervous. She was desperate to see him again. She had to know whatever it was that he wanted to share with her. Soon, she was blasting through the air faster than she intended to. She couldn't slow down. Her heart was pounding and her fingers were numb with excitement.

When she arrived at the hotel, she landed just far enough down an alley to avoid being seen. She hurried towards the entrance and saw him pacing around in the lobby through the massive windows. He had his hands in his pockets and was walking back and forth near the revolving doors.

Lace watched him run his hand through his nearly-white hair and check his phone. Was he looking to see if she responded? She pulled out her phone and sent a winking emoji back to him. She looked up excitedly and watched for a response.

Soon he took his phone back out of his pocket and smiled uncontrollably. He typed a response and hit send before returning it to his pocket, but she couldn't wait any longer. She started jogging towards the entrance and bumped into someone.

"Sorry!" She said quickly, not making eye contact with whoever was exiting the fancy limo parked in front.

She pushed her way through the revolving doors and rushed over to him when she got inside. He was smiling from ear to ear and held his arms open wide. He always looked so sweet when he smiled. There wasn't an ounce of cocky saiyan in him. He was pure and sweet. Sometimes, Lace's father compared Cody to her grandfather, Goku, though her uncle Gohan remarked that Cody was too smart for that. He was a genius. He was the sweetest, smartest and most perfect guy Lace could picture. When she met his embrace, she felt his big, powerful arms wrap around her and closed her eyes. She could stay there forever.

"I was a little worried you wouldn't come. I'm so glad you're here…" He said quietly into Lace's hair.

"I wouldn't let you down..." Lace answered, muffled by Cody's black t-shirt and intoxicated by his cologne.

"Let's get some drinks, yeah?" Cody asked, pulling her away from him slightly.

"I'm not twenty-one, Cody…It's different here in the U.S." She whispered.

"You still have your fake I made for you?" He asked.

"Well, yeah…"

"Perfect!" Cody answered, taking her hand and leading her away.

They entered the bar area and headed for a small table in the corner. Cody stopped by the bar and ordered two beers, handing one to Lace. She blushed and took it, secretly hating the taste. He always wanted beer, but she preferred straight vodka.

They sat down at the wobbly table and scooted close enough to hear each other talk. Cody had clearly already been drinking by the smell of beer on his breath and his slightly off-balance demeanor. Lace only ever saw him in this state once before, but thinking about it gave her anxious butterflies that felt like they might eat her stomach.

"So how's America? Like, really. You can only portray so much through texting and instant messaging. Describe it to me." Cody said, taking a huge swig from his beer and sitting back in the chair.

"Well…it sucks. Everyone is stuck up and mean. I go to a school full of rich bitches and assholes…I'm just the weird, goth girl. It's terrible." Lace answered, taking a small sip and trying not to look repulsed.

"You are not weird. You're also not goth. You're just…unique!" Cody smiled.

Lace felt her heart skip a beat. Stop it, she told herself. _He's your cousin_.

"I missed you so much" he continued, "I mean really. Training is hopeless without you there to motivate me. Grandpa will be pissed when we train tomorrow."

"We're training tomorrow? Together? The three of us?" Lace asked excitedly.

"Yeah! I wouldn't miss the chance. I'll only be here for a few days."

Lace felt her smile fade into a hopeless frown. It was too obvious for Cody to miss.

"Aw, I'm sorry. I'm just on break from school. I gotta go back and finish up before I move here…you know that."

Lace nodded sadly, tapping her beer bottle on the table.

"I know you've been patient…I really appreciate it." He added.

Lace tried to smile, but she couldn't bring herself to muster one.

"Hey…" Cody took a finger and placed it under her chin, "Look at me."

Lace peered up at him with her electric blue eyes. He stared back at her, his own glowing, yellow rings around his pupils burning brightly. She felt herself melt. She couldn't let him leave without telling him this time. She had to be honest, but how could she? How could she ruin the relationship that they had? She knew he only thought of her as his close, little cousin. The tough girl that never had feelings for boys. The girl that followed him around and punched him on occasion. She wasn't even sure that she could admit the truth to herself in the first place.

"I have to…tell you something. I've been meaning to for a while, but I guess I just couldn't get the nerve up to do it. Maybe that's why I've been down here drinking, I don't know. I thought we might go for a swim first, though. There's this totally sick pool up on one of the top floors that overlooks the city…did you bring a bathing suit?"

"I did…"

"It's okay if you'd rather not. I get that." Cody answered, unaffected by her reluctance thanks to his liquid beer courage.

"No. No it's okay. I want to." Lace said quickly.

"Oh. Okay, let's go, then. Are you gonna finish that?"

Lace looked at her barely-gone beer and frowned. She pushed it towards him. He grabbed it and chugged it in one swig, happily setting it down and nodding to the bar tender when he finished. They walked into the lobby area and headed for the elevator. A few, drunken people were wandering from the bar and laughing loudly. She got a little closer to Cody and watched them wearily.

"It's okay, Lacey. No one's gonna mess with you while I'm here." Cody said sweetly, placing his arm around her shoulders.

Lace felt her entire body catch fire and dared to lean her head on him just a little bit.

The ride up the elevator was a long one. Cody informed her that he was already wearing his bathing suit under his jeans, so he was ready to go. They waited in silence, watching the red numbers count upwards with each little beep. Lace was leaning on him even more now, perhaps out of fear that he might fall over. He was fairly intoxicated.

To their surprise, the elevator beeped on the tenth floor. The doors opened and an odd couple stood just outside of the doors. A very tall man with extremely long, spikey hair smirked at them. He placed a hand on what appeared to be his wife's waist. They were both wearing sunglasses, but Lace could see that the woman was absolutely beautiful. She had short, reddish-brown hair that was pulled back into a high ponytail. They both wore long overcoats. She wondered if they were foreign.

"We'll take the next one." The woman said coldly, looking them up and down.

Lace thought her accent was strange, yet familiar. Cody shrugged and pressed the button to close the doors.

"That was weird…" Lace said quietly.

"Eh, forget about it. Probably just foreign." Cody answered.

When the elevator reached the eleventh floor, Cody practically skipped out into the hallway. They followed the signs towards the WET Deck, a posh indoor bar that led to the extravagant pool overlooking the city.

"Where is everyone?" Lace asked, looking around at the empty bar.

"It closes at sun down." He said nonchalantly.

"Then how are we gonna get out there?" She asked, looking up at the ceiling for security cameras.

"Chill out, I bribed the security guard." Cody laughed, "Let's get in!"

He opened the glass door onto the deck, revealing a huge, lit up pool. Two white columns were the only thing holding up the roof above their heads. Glass walls surrounded them, leaving a large gap with the roof to feel the city breeze. Against the glass walls were several white seats sitting on the edge of the water. You could lounge on them and watch the bustling city below.

"I need to change…" Lace said, taking in her surroundings with awe.

"Oh, I'm not sure where the bathroom is…I could just turn around?" Cody said calmly.

"What?" Lace exclaimed.

"What, what? I'm not gonna look. Here…I'll go and lay on one of those chairs and look out at the city. How cool is that?"

Lace gulped nervously. She had serious issues with undressing in front of anyone, even her mother or sister. She'd always been weird about it, but for some reason, a sudden wave of bravery flooded over her.  
  
When he stripped off his shirt and kicked his jeans and shoes to the side, he jumped into the water and swam straight for the chairs. She sighed. Slowly, she slid out of her boots and set them against the wall.

"C'mon, hurry up! I'm not looking!" He whined impatiently.

"Shut up!" She laughed.

She began undoing her belt buckle. Luckily, her shirt was long enough to cover her. She slid down her jeans and underwear and replaced them with her bikini bottom faster than she'd ever changed in her life. She tossed the jeans next to her boots, carefully covering her underwear with them.

When she took off her shirt and bra, she felt a little excited and dangerous. She put on her bikini top, but quickly realized she hadn't tied it first.

"Are you done yet?" Cody asked.

"Um..." Lace answered, holding the top against her breasts protectively.

Without thinking he turned around. She panicked. He laughed.

"You need help?" He chuckled.

"Yeah…" She answered, blushing violently.

Cody swam over to her and hopped out of the pool. She felt herself gasp and wanted to fall off the edge of the building. His body was exquisite. She couldn't help but marvel at him. He was the epitome of gorgeous.

"Well, that was forward, ma'am." Cody said, smirking at her.

"S-sorry…" She answered, "Just tie this."

Cody approached her with a sultry stride, unable to hide his own excitement. She turned away from him and held her breath. When his hands touched her back, pulling the strings tight, she gasped again and jolted forward slightly.

"Woah, there." He laughed.

She felt him tie both ties tightly and relaxed a bit. Just as she began to walk away, she was suddenly lifted into the air and thrown face first into the water.

"Gotcha!" He yelled, laughing hysterically.

Lace laughed and splashed him before he jumped in after her. The two began laughing and splashing about like children. Lace felt happier than she'd been in a long time. Finally, he calmed down a little bit and swam over to the steps. He sat down and motioned for her to come and sit with him.

"Let's chat, yeah?" He asked.

Lace swam over and took a seat beside him. He smiled warmly and looked at her with adoration. She blushed.

"Why are you so nervous tonight? How many times did we just hang out before? We grew up together…you shouldn't be afraid of me."

"I'm not afraid." She said quickly, "I'm just…nervous."

"For what?" He asked, genuinely curious.

Lace searched for her words. She felt her face heat up with panic. Was now really the time to be totally honest with him? He snickered and began to speak first.

"Well, while you're freaking out inside, let me just say that all I've been thinking about for weeks now is this moment. Being here with you. You're my best fuckin friend, you know that?" He laughed.

Lace sighed, "Yeah. You're mine, too…"

"Lace, I've been meaning to talk to you about that party…the one before you left."

Cody was suddenly serious. She felt her throat close off and the air leave her lungs. He was going to talk about it. He was going to bring up the moment they had pretended didn't happen for so long.

"It was…weird. Like, I don't know what happened. I guess I knew it might come to that…but are you okay? I feel like I fucked everything up and I hate that."

Lace's eyes grew huge, "_You_ fucked it up? You're kidding!"

"How do you mean?" He asked, leaning back a little.

"That night…it was the best night of my life…"

There was a silence between them that wouldn't end. Both of them couldn't think of what to say next. She wanted to scream. Was that not what he wanted to here?

"Best night…of your life…" Cody finally said, philosophically staring at the water.

"I'm kinda cold…" She said, shivering.

"Oh, shit. Um, wanna go inside then? My room is on the sixty-fifth floor…it's quite a ride. Grab your stuff."

On the elevator ride, the silence was even more deafening than before. Neither of them could speak and Lace felt like she was going to explode. To her delight however, he hadn't gotten dressed again. She peered over at his body and watched drops of water run over his abs. Every time another fell to the floor, she shivered. He didn't seem to notice. He was lost in his own thoughts.

When they arrived outside of Cody's room, he swiped his key card and stepped inside. He flipped on the lights, illuminating one of the most extravagant rooms Lace had ever seen. She ran inside excitedly and headed straight for the wall to wall windows giving a perfect view of the city. The night sky glistened with stars. She could see a plane flying overhead and blinking every few seconds.

"Wow…" Lace whispered.

Cody smirked and sauntered towards her.

"It's incredible…" Lace said, still looking all around the cityscape.

"Like you." Cody said softly.

Lace felt her heart jump up through her body.

"What?" She asked, a little shocked.

"You heard me." He answered, turning around and plugging his phone into a charger.

Lace took a deep breath.

"I…I don't…I mean…" Lace began to stutter.

"Lacey, relax. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out. Sorry for being honest." Cody laughed, shaking his head.

"You didn't freak me out!" Lace said quickly.

Cody turned around slowly to face her. He peered up and smirked.

"I'm glad, then. I like being with you like this…"

"Yeah…me too." She whispered, leaning against the window.

"So about that night at the frat house…" He began.

"Yeah?" She asked, feeling her breathing quicken.

"You sure you can handle the truth?" He warned honestly, "You're not gonna…freak out and run outta here?"

"I can handle it." She said confidently.

"I doubt that…" He answered, still smirking.

Sometimes, Cody sounded so much like his father. Lace's uncle Trunks was the most cocky, self-assured man she'd ever known besides her grandfather Vegeta. She respected that about him, though.

"Let's see what happens." Lace said.

Cody slowly moved forward and stopped just in front of her. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, looking nervous and frustrated with himself. He laughed quietly. Finally, he looked straight into her eyes.

"I really…really…missed you…" Cody began.

"Me, too." Lace whispered.

Cody rushed up to her and stopped short of knocking her over. Lace backed against the window and felt the cold sting of the glass on her hand and back.

"When you say that…do you mean what I think you mean?" Cody asked, staring straight into her eyes, "I gotta know…because I feel…like I'm missing out."

"I…I don't know. What do you think I mean? Missing out on what?" Lace asked, breathless and flustered.

Cody exhaled. She felt his warm, beer-scented breath on her neck and felt goose-bumps rise on her arms and neck. He reached up for her and brushed one hand down her arm and smiled.

"Nervous?" He asked, referring to her raised skin.

"I don't know what I am anymore." Lace answered honestly.

"Yeah...I get that." He replied, reaching up and touching her cheek with his other hand.

He stepped closer to her and pressed himself against her. She shivered nervously. His warm body felt so good against hers. She dropped the clothes she was holding, but let her hands stay free instead of touching him. She closed her eyes and felt his hands travel down her sides and grip onto her. All she could hear was the sound of their synced breathing.

"Look at me…" He said softly.

She opened her eyes slowly and gasped.

"Your eyes…" Lace whispered.

"Your eyes are doing the same, I think. It must be…"

"Our powers…" Lace finished for him.

Cody heaved another great sigh and pressed his forehead against hers.

"I keep thinking that…no one else will ever understand us. No one knows what it's like. No one but you. What if…we were meant to be…more…" Cody said slowly, as though the words he spoke were painful.

"More?" Lace asked breathlessly.

"More…" Cody answered before pushing her fully against the glass and squeezing her waist tighter.

"I…I feel like that, too…I want more…" Lace finally admitted.

Cody looked surprised, "You do?"

"Yeah."

"So, you're saying…you want…what I want? I don't want to force you into anything…I'm older than you, I know…but I feel like we know each other better than we know ourselves, you know?"

Lace felt her body go numb. Instinctively, she licked her lips and stared up at him with her mouth slightly open. She ran her hands over his bare chest and again took a moment to marvel at his perfect physique.

"I know it would never work with our families…they'd never get it…so I have an idea." Cody sighed.

"What?"

"What if…what if just tonight…we forgot everything else and we just…we could…"

"Kiss me." Lace whispered, cutting him off.

Cody smiled quickly, but fell into a serious, passionate expression as he drew closer to her face. Within seconds, she felt his warm, beer-soaked tongue slipping inside of her mouth. The moment she'd been craving and waiting for was finally happening.

"Mmm…" She moaned, wrapping one leg around his.

Cody responded by picking her up and wrapping both legs around his waist. He continued kissing her slowly and deeply. She felt her eyes rolling back into her head and her entire body erupted with a sweet sensation she'd never felt before. He put one hand against the glass to support himself and she felt him growing more excited below. She reached down and bravely untied his swim trunks.

"Lace…are you sure about this?" He asked, panting desperately.

"You said…just this once…and I've been waiting for this forever…" She answered, equally breathless.

He let his shorts fall to his ankles and Lace felt everything. He was completely naked against her. She knew what he'd be looking for next, but her usual fear of nudity was gone. She felt like she could do anything in that moment. She was completely numb and on fire.

He began kissing her neck slowly and then her collar bone. His tongue swirled around like he was eating an ice cream cone. She shivered as he moved down her chest and began moving her bikini top to the side with his teeth.

When his mouth moved onto her breast, her entire body began to quake and shiver. With his free hand, he untied the two back ties and pulled the top off, tossing it away. She felt powerful in that moment and arched her back, placing both of her hands on the cold window as he kissed his way across from one breast to the other.

"Oh, Cody…" She moaned.

Without speaking, he let her legs down and turned her around. She knew what was coming. She felt her breathing quicken. He shoved her face gently up against the window and kissed her back, trailing his tongue down her spine.

A moment later, she felt his fingers pull her bikini bottom down her legs. She shivered, stepping out of them. He rose back up and kissed her neck, pulling on her braid slightly so that her chin tilted upwards.

In a split second, she felt as though she was being pulled in half. She'd done things before, but never this far. He wasn't wasting any time. She felt him pull out gently, but he pushed back in again. He repeated the motion very slowly until her face went from nervous and slightly pained to an open mouth with eager eyes.

"Holy…shit…" She panted.

He began moving faster. He was holding on to her waist for support. Her cheek was pressed completely against the glass and she felt like she was dripping down her leg. He didn't seem to mind however, as he was completely engulfed in the sensation.

"Oh, Cody!" Lace shouted as he began to move faster.

"Yeah?" He asked seductively.

"Yeah…" She moaned back, feeling like she was going to explode.

He seemed to sense her overload and backed up. He pulled her up and began kissing her again, but walking at the same time. They reached the bed and he gently laid her down. He crawled on top of her.

She felt the expensive comforter below her brush against her bare skin. She stretched her arms out above her head and arched her back again, wrapping her legs around him and crossing them at her ankles. This time, when he entered, the pain wasn't nearly as severe.

"You okay?" He asked, panting.

"So okay." She answered, placing her hands on his cheeks, "Kiss me."

They began to kiss again while he thrusted in and out of her gently. He wasn't going very fast, instead focusing on grinding in small circles. She found herself wondering how many times he'd done this before. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing. But who was she kidding? He was gorgeous and in college. Of course he had experience.

She opened her eyes slowly to stare into his and found his eyes to be completely yellow and glowing. She marveled and assumed hers were doing the same when she saw a soft pink glow on his skin.

When he began to reach his peak, he started to speed up slightly. Lace felt her body shake and tingle with each thrust. A sensation came over her and she seemed to be climbing higher and higher into the abyss. She felt her lungs scream out, but she couldn't hear. Everything went completely numb as she skyrocketed into a beautiful place she never wanted to leave. Cody seemed to pull out of her quickly and roll over to a towel that was laying on the bed.

Shaking and moaning, she couldn't see what he was doing. He got up from the bed and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him quickly. Lace rolled over in complete bliss and wrapped the comforter around her naked body.

"What just happened…" She whispered.

Later that night as she laid in bed with him, dressed in one of his large shirts, she felt like she was in heaven. He was wearing boxers, but still shirtless. She cuddled against his chest and kissed him a few times on his shoulder. She felt him pull her closer, but he was exhausted. The jet lag must be catching up to him. She felt her eyelids drift shut. She knew she should get home, but she couldn't help it. She'd figure it out in the morning.

An alarm began to sound, waking them both from a deep sleep. Cody flew out of bed.

"What the hell is that?" He asked, standing in a panic.

"What?" Lace asked sleepily.

"Is that the fire alarm?" He asked.

He began putting on his jeans and tripping towards the door. He grabbed his shirt off of the counter and slipped it over his head.

"Get dressed, Lace. I think this is real." He said seriously.

She rolled out of the bed and slid on her jeans. Just as she got her shirt on, the ground below her feet began to shake.

"Cody…" Lace gasped.

"What the…"

Lace felt the glass windows behind her break and slice into her skin. She felt something pull her through the glass, but she was paralyzed and fell helplessly. She couldn't see or hear anything, but she could smell the burning Earth around her. Loud explosions blasted in her ears and sent more debris flying. A large piece of concrete smacked into her head, knocking her out cold.

When she started coming back to her senses, she opened her hazy eyes to find a large man standing over her with long, spikey, black hair. He was wearing saiyan battle armor like Vegeta's, only in a deep shade of green. One of his shoulders was covered by a wing type of extension of his armor. A cape hung behind him, attached at the top of each shoulder. He flung it behind him from one arm and revealed a mark on his chest that looked similar to King Vegeta's symbol. She recognized it from her grandmother Bulma's artifacts. It was slightly different, but still resembled power and order. She coughed and he looked straight at her.

"This one is still alive…how cute." His coarse voice sounded a lot like Vegeta's. His accent was similar. She'd never heard an accent like that from anyone but her grandfather.

She felt a hand grab the hair at the top of her head and yank her up from the ground. She tried to scream, but his hand was around her throat before she could. She felt terror trickle down her spine as she kicked and thrashed in his grasp.

"What the…you're a saiyan, aren't you? That should have killed you by now! You're strong…perhaps you are who we seek." He laughed and released her, dropping her onto the concrete.

"What…do…you…want?" Lace coughed, gasping for air.

A woman approached them with a similar outfit. Her armor was also green, with the same symbol on one side of her chest. Her black cape blew back in the wind. Her angry face frowned deeper when she saw Lace.

"The one we seek is a boy. Are you stupid? I told you, it was a male child. Older than this one, too…this isn't who we seek." The woman growled.

"Her energy feels…different from a normal saiyan, though." The man said in response.

"Who cares what her energy feels like, you fool! We need the boy!" She stomped her foot and turned away from them. Lace couldn't stop herself.

"Wait! I'm who you're looking for! I'm the mutated saiyan! Just kill me now, leave him alone!"

The man looked down at her and dropped to look her in the eye. His movements were swift and frightening for such a large man. He smirked a crooked smile and laughed quietly.

"It's no use trying to reason with a queen, girl. She has plans for your little boyfriend and you aren't going to stop her. You have no idea who you're dealing with!"

"Raditz! Shut up and get over here. Leave the girl. She's worthless." The woman said with disdain.

"R-Raditz…?" Lace whispered.

Raditz grabbed her by her shirt and pulled her up with him as he stood. He stared at her, frowning, and then shook her violently.

"You think you can use my name, girl? A royal saiyan name from the mouth of a low class, Earthling saiyan like yourself? You half-breed bitch!"

Lace smiled. "Royal? I am the true heir to the crown…When my grandfather gets here, you're dead…"

Raditz's face twisted into an evil grin, "What could a grandfather do to us?"

"King Vegeta? Oh, I don't know…but judging from what I've heard…Kakarrot might enjoy killing you, too."

Raditz turned white.

"Vegeta?...Kakarrot?...Impossible."


	6. Chapter 6

Pain can be a strange and confusing feeling to actually put into words. Some people think that pain is just physical, like getting hurt in a fight or experiencing some kind of accident that injures the body. Others think that pain is purely mental and that a person can overcome pain if they only focus on their end goal. Vegeta was definitely an example of that kind of person.

For Lace however, pain was neither just physical nor just mental after the hotel explosion. Pain was waking up each night screaming and feeling like she was falling to her death. Pain was feeling so utterly alone and being unable to tell anyone exactly why that was. Pain was losing the other half of her heart.

Pain was the definition of her life.

Two months after the accident, Halloween night arrived. The leaves were falling and the air was thinning out quite a bit. She would normally be in her prime while experiencing the season change, but this year was different.

Uninterested in the world around her, she sat alone at the water fountain in the school courtyard. She was very early and not many students were on campus yet. She reached down and took out her cellphone, the only fond memories she had left of _him_.

She opened the text messaging app and began to scroll through the many, many texts she'd exchanged with Cody before everything ended abruptly. She wanted to cry, but she held it back. She grabbed her mouth and stifled her tears as best she could. Some girls walked by and stared at her. Lace could only look the other way.

After about an hour of silent reading through messages and feeling sorry for herself, her group of friends began to arrive at school. They quickly surrounded her like they always did, but she wished they hadn't. She wasn't in the mood to pretend today.

Keiko, dressed as a pirate complete with a fake knife, plopped down beside Lace on the edge of the fountain and began dabbing a small hole in her black tights with clear nail polish. Rez, dressed as a hamburger, kept pulling Chai's hat over her eyes and laughing. She was dressed as a ketchup bottle to match his costume. Everyone knew that it was Rez's idea, but Chai seemed fine with it, too. Though they weren't officially dating, it was obvious to everyone around them that it was going to happen eventually.

"Hey, Lace! Can't you be happy for just _one_ day? This is your favorite holiday, after all. You didn't even dress up!" Brie whined, bouncing around in her fluffy, pink costume.

Keiko stopped dabbing her tights and gave Brie a very stern look. Keiko was really beginning to worry about Lace. Though their friends knew she was in an accident, no one at school knew what happened to Cody aside from Keiko and Brie. Even then, despite their prying questions and absurd speculations, Lace wouldn't tell them why she was with him that night in the first place. The family assumed Lace and Cody were training when it happened, but Keiko had a sneaking suspicion that it was more than just training. She'd never seen Lace so depressed in her life. It wasn't normal and it definitely wasn't healthy.

"Well, do you like _my_ costume?" Brie asked Lace, trotting around in front of her and posing.

"What the hell are you even wearing?" Lace grumbled in a low voice, peeking up from her cellphone.

"I'm actually a fairy, but you know, there will be some alterations for the party on the lake tonight. I can't wait!" Brie bragged.

"Oh! The party! Lace, you have to go! It'll be so fun!" Chai said in her sweet voice, gently patting Lace on the shoulder.

Keiko groaned loudly, interrupting the conversation. She pointing in the direction of the popular kids.

"Oh, my God! Look at Mina! What a friggin _ho!_ And look at Ryo…_Why_ does he stay with her? She's completely ignoring him in that stupid mini skirt. Gross!"

Across the courtyard Mina was leaning against a tree and primping her hair in a handheld mirror. She was dressed as some kind of kitten, or at least that's what it looked like. Her grey and pink cat ears were almost lost in her giant mane of hair. Her outfit consisted of a grey body suit with a white tutu around her waist. A cat tail hung behind her with a bell tied to the end. Pink, high-heeled boots with white fur on the top completed her look. Several other girls around her were dressed similarly. The only way that you could tell what they were dressed as would be their animal ears. Each girl had a different set on a head band in their hair.

Ryo stood next to Mina trying to get her attention. He was holding her purse and book bag in addition to a bag that looked to be full of candy. Keiko assumed it was from the other girls. For some reason, the more they feared Mina the more gifts they brought her on special occasions. Mina lowered her mirror for a second and caught them all staring at her. She smiled and waved with a snotty, disgusted look on her face. Lace growled and went back to looking at her phone.

"Why do you let her get to you like that?" Brie asked, "She's really not that hard to get along with. It's all a game to her. Pretend to be nice and you're fine. I'm not saying that we're friends, but at least she leaves me alone."

"I don't pretend, Brie." Lace grumbled.

"Whatever. I'm going to find my Chrissy-poo…class is gonna start soon and I wanna show him my costume!" Brie stared down at her sister spitefully, "Maybe you can just be _yourself_ for Halloween…you sure are scary enough lately."

Lace felt a stab in her heart where her sister's words struck head on. Brie and Lace were always close, but sometimes that meant knowing exactly how to hurt each other the most. She could feel Brie losing interest in her depression quickly. Everyone was. It hurt even worse to know that her own suffering was a mere inconvenience to the happy people around her.

Finally, Lace stood up and brushed off her black skinny jeans. Rez placed a hand on her shoulder, almost as though he could sense what she was feeling inside.

"L-Dog…You know we've got your back, right? We understand why you don't like that girl. Hell, we don't like her either. Whatever else it is, though…you can always talk to us about it. Got it?"

Lace smiled weakly and stifled a small laugh, "T-Thanks, Rez. I appreciate it."

Rez nodded, "Now…did you bring candy today?...or…are you just not participating at all? Keiko? Brie? Candy? Is Chai seriously the _only_ person who knew to bring candy for me today? Gosh…and I thought you were all my friends…"

The girls laughed. The homeroom bell sounded out across the courtyard and the students began to file into the building. Lace walked quickly to her homeroom like a lonely shadow in a dark room. Her leg hadn't healed from the accident, so her large, awkward removable cast still decorated the outside of her pant-leg. Some students could be heard laughing at her cast from the back of the room. She bit her lip and leaned down onto her desk. Her forehead smacked the desk as tears came forward. The pure rage and devastating heartbreak she felt melted together into an unbearable feeling she couldn't begin to describe. She heard a boy ask someone if somebody from Lace's family died or something.

She snapped.

"Why don't you mind your own fucking business?" Lace growled angrily, scaring everyone in the room.

She got up and limped quickly out into the hallway. Why wasn't Bibii there yet? She would have defended Lace from those idiots in there. No one understood what it was like. Her heart was in pieces and everyone around her just thought her sadness was hilarious or annoying. She couldn't stand being there anymore.

She stormed outside of the school and slammed the large doors behind her. She sat on the entryway steps and let her injured leg stick out. It still hurt to walk on it after her surgery, so resting it was a relief. _Stupid, stuck-up idiots_, she angrily growled to herself.

The cold cement blocks stung her leg through her jeans. It was nice to have a free-dress day at school, but she'd forgotten to dress a little warmer. The wind was blowing now, quite heavily, which reminded her that October was about to end. Her royal blue strands of hair fell from her lazy braid and blew into her face. She sighed and dug around in her purse for her phone. She lit up the screen and stared at it listlessly. She opened the texting app and clicked on his name. Another wave of grief fell over her. As the tears poured down her cheeks, she scrolled through his texts and read them over one-by-one for the fourth time that morning. She had the entirety of them memorized now, but it was still comforting to read them again.

"Hey!" A low, annoyed voice asked from the bottom of the steps.

Lace ignored the voice, continuing to wallow in sadness and pretend as though she didn't hear anything.

"_Hello?_" The voice asked again, refusing to be ignored, "You deaf or something?"

_"What?"_ Lace shouted angrily without looking up.

_Couldn't they see that she was crying? This wasn't the time to interrupt someone!  
_  
"Uh…Okay, well, I'm kinda lost…could you tell me where room 104 is? I went inside and it's nowhere on the first floor, so I thought maybe it's a trailer…but it's not so I need some direction here."

Lace smirked. Did Keiko really sending some guy out to check up on her? She must've felt Lace's energy leave the building. Keiko knew that Lace's homeroom was room 104.

"Did _Keiko_ put you up to this? I don't _need_ to be in that damn class. I'm perfectly fine with a 92. I also don't need a fuckin baby sitter. So please. Tell her that."

There was a slight pause. Lace felt the person's eyes staring at her and felt a little uncomfortable. Why was he just standing there?

"Um…that's cool, but I have no idea who the fuck Keiko is and I really don't give two shits about your grades…"

Lace felt her cheeks grow red. How direct. She looked up and saw a boy with reddish-brown hair and dazzling silver eyes looking fairly annoyed with her. She felt a very short, fleeting moment of intense attraction. Even in her depressed state, only an idiot wouldn't notice how hot this guy was.

"Man, whatever. I'll find it myself." He sighed.

He angrily stomped up the stairs and flung open the front doors. Lace watched him and felt a little guilty. Maybe she should go back to class and stop being so negative. It was easier said than done, but she pushed herself up from the steps and began to return to class. She promised herself that if one more person made fun of her cast, she would in fact punch them square in the face.

Later that day, the lunchroom buzzed with excited students in some of the most hilarious costumes she'd ever seen. Lace found her friends quickly and sat next to Bibii, who also forgot to dress up. She'd slept in and arrived to school super late. It was very unlike her, but the group chalked it up to studying for exams. Bibii was pretty serious about her school work, after all.

Brie sat on the other side of Bibii applying some eyeshadow for her and commenting on her perfect, pale skin. Rez watched intently and leaned in close.

"So…it's like a powder?" He asked.

"What did you think it was, Rez?" Brie asked.

"I dunno…I pictured it like paint." He answered seriously.

"_Paint?_" Bibii and Lace said in unison.

Chai arrived looking a little worried and sat down quickly. She looked around over her shoulders and leaned forward.

"Did you guys hear what happened to Keiko last period?" Chai whispered.

"No…she didn't text me anything!" Brie said, setting down her makeup brush, "What's the tea?"

"She got into a huge fight with Mina! I guess Mina caught Keiko talking to Ryo in the hallway. Jake is super mad, too." Chai continued, taking another glance over her shoulder.

"Talking? Why the hell are they mad about talking?" Lace groaned, unable to feel any emotions besides anger at the moment.

"I really don't know…all I know is that everyone is mad at everyone and I'm just the messenger. Oh…Here she comes!"

The group pretended to act normal when Keiko and her recent boyfriend, Jake joined the table. Jake looked very angry and immediately got on his phone to avoid talking. His light, emerald eyes looked demonic under angry, furrowed brows. Keiko made no attempt to talk to him and simply started unpacking her lunch bag. Lace scooted over to her and laid her head on Keiko's shoulder.

"Bad day?" Lace whispered.

"I'll tell you tonight…but yeah. _Really_ bad day."

Christopher joined the table next and sat opposite of Jake. Completely unaware of the latest gossip, he began talking about how much fun the party at a football player named Eric's lake house was going to be.

"So are you all going tonight? I can't wait!" Christopher said excitedly.

The group nodded. Lace saw Jake's eyes roll. He looked at Keiko in disgust.

"Do you wanna go with me or should I just not show up?" He asked.

"Jake, of course I wanna go with you…please stop…" Keiko pleaded in a hushed tone, embarrassed.

"It'll be so awesome! I heard that a bunch of seniors are actually getting kegs…I've never been to a party with kegs before! Have you Rez? I'll bet you have…what's it like?" Christopher asked innocently.

"Hell yeah! Sounds pretty awesome. There better be some beer pong. I'll show you how to play, Chris!" He answered, patting Christopher so hard on the back that he almost flew out of his chair.

Lace grimaced. Just another place to feel completely ill-equipped to act normal. But maybe, just maybe, she could forget some of her troubles for one night and even get her hands on a bottle of vodka from her grandmother's stash.

When darkness began to creep over their city, Brie and Bibii slinked into Lace's room. Keiko and Lace were sitting on the cushioned window sill of Lace's bay window getting ready for the party quietly. Keiko looked up at the two girls and sighed. Lace wasn't talking again. Brie pulled up Lace's black butterfly chair and sat in front of her sister. She placed her hand on Lace's knee.

"Hey…are you okay?" Brie asked sincerely, "If you'd rather not go…"

"I'm fine. I can't keep bringing you guys down. Let's just go to this thing." Lace answered flatly.

"No, let's just talk about what happened." Brie responded in the same tone.

"I already told you what happened. My best friend in the whole entire world doesn't know who I am anymore. "

The girls paused and looked around at each other. What could they say to that? She was hurting and clearly not ready to move on with her life. Keiko had accepted her brother's strange new ailment and even began to rebuild a relationship with him. He took a leave of absence from college and was living in Trunks and Marron's house with them. She just couldn't understand why Lace wasn't making an effort. He was close by and very open to his family, but Lace refused to speak to him. Keiko figured it was due to the night he tried to remember her face and simply had no idea who she was.

"Can you at least try to talk about it? I'm really getting worried…let me see your arms!" Keiko exclaimed.

"I'm not freaking cutting myself, Keiko!" Lace snarled.

"I'm just saying, okay? You are going down a path that we can't let you continue! You should go out tonight and have some fun and know that my brother is still in there. He'll get his memory back one day, Lace. I know he will. Fuck what those stupid doctors think!"

Lace peered up at the girls and blinked away a single tear. They didn't know the whole truth. They didn't know what happened between Cody and Lace that night. They could never understand how broken her heart was. She closed her eyes and relived the last moments she spent with him before being deleted from his memory like an old computer program. Bibii looked a little confused, clearly still not up to date on what happened. Lace just wasn't in the headspace to explain, so Keiko began to. The scene started to play out in Lace's head like a movie. She could barely contain herself.

Lace was standing over Cody's bed and holding his hand in the hospital, just days after the accident. He woke up and startled when he saw her there, but Keiko assured him that it was okay. He looked down at her hand and back up to her. His face was confused and a little off putting. Lace lingered there, hoping and praying that he would recognize her. This was how it had been for everyone so far when he first came into contact with him. Cody would stare for a long while and try desperately to piece together some kind of memory. Lace even tried to use her energy to connect with him like they had for so many years in training, but that bond was blocked. Something was pushing her out and she couldn't break through. She squeezed his hand harder. He sighed.

"I'm really sorry..." Cody's honey-colored eyes stared up apologetically.

"N-nothing?...nothing at all?" Lace asked desperately.

"Nothing. What was your name again? Keiko said we're cousins…damn…I'm sorry. Were we close?" Cody's question tore into Lace like a knife.

"Really close." She choked.

"Hmm…Well maybe it'll come back to me. I just don't remember you at all right now. Keiko…could you get dad? I wanna try to get out of bed again. I think my legs need some exercise. It's funny how muscular I am…I feel really weak. Did I work out a lot or something?"

When Keiko's explanation came to a close, Lace stared at her in pain. Brie and Bibii had tears in their eyes and threw their arms around Lace. Describing the last time Lace went to see Cody was horrible to relive, but her friends felt truly grateful to have heard the details of why she was so depressed.

"I won't leave your side tonight. Jake is skipping out. He's still furious about catching me talking to Ryo this morning. It was stupid…he dropped a book in the hallway and I just happened to be the one that found it. I was returning it, that's all. Then Mina came flying out of nowhere screaming at the top of her damn lungs like a crazy person. Poor Ryo was so embarrassed…"

"But Jake is your boyfriend, Keiko. You shouldn't be messing with Ryo at all. You know it bothers him." Bibii interjected, "You should appreciate him more. I wish I had a boyfriend."

"I-I know…" Keiko whispered, drawing little circles on her leg with her finger, "I care about Jake a lot…I don't know what it is about Ryo. Maybe it's wanting something that I can't have that's got me all crazy. I promise I'm gonna try to focus more on Jake."

"Don't promise me. Promise him." Bibii lectured.

It hadn't occurred to Lace that Keiko was having just as much of an internal struggle as she was with boy drama. She felt badly for neglecting Keiko for the past few weeks and decided she would try her very best to have fun and not ruin her night.

The girls heard someone approaching Lace's door and turned to see who it was. Chai had just arrived with bouncing pigtails and entered Lace's room with a warm smile.

"Hi, guys! Are you ready to go?"

The girls looked at each other and then at Lace. Lace smiled up at Chai and nodded, much to the other girls' relief. They all stood up and helped Lace stand on her cast. Brie skipped past Chai into the hallway and began singing out loud. She was extremely excited for the party, Lace thought.

When they all exited Lace's room, she quickly opened her bedside table drawer. Next to a picture of Cody was her lucky flask, a gift from Cody when he found out that she was moving away. She grabbed it and took a quick swig of straight vodka before hiding it back inside her cloak. Being a sexy vampire with a cloak for Halloween had its perks, she thought to herself.

Bra let Lace take her SUV capsule to ensure safe transportation. She felt slightly normal pulling into the lake house's driveway in such a big, expensive vehicle. She was surrounded by cars just as nice as her mother's.

The house was already packed full of people when they hopped out onto the ground and headed inside. The giant lake house sat just on the edge of a beautiful, sparkling lake, but it was too cold for anyone to be swimming in. The large windows in the front of the house displayed the many drunken teenagers dancing and partying in an array of different costumes. Clearly the theme of funny guy costumes and sexy girl costumes ran rampant. Two girls passed in front of them wearing lingerie with bunny ears. Chai gasped and looked at the group in shock.

"Do you think Rez expects for me to dress like that? I d-didn't realize…" She stammered, wide-eyed.

"I think…Rez would love it if you did, but no I don't think he expects you to. He's actually a really good guy." Bibii giggled.

"I'll bet Christopher can't wait to see this bod! I don't mind dressing a little skimpy…I look hot, admit it!" Brie announced, placing her hands on her tiny hips and flaunting her petite figure in her pink bodysuit before skipping ahead and into the house.

The group walked forward into the party-house and immersed themselves in the surging crowd. A guy in a white wife-beater and black bowtie was pouring shots for some girls in black wigs and red dresses in the foyer. A girl with a spikey wig and a purple mini dress winked at Brie, who turned around and made a horrified face at her friends. An alien in another corner was talking to an Elvis impersonator before being recruited for a keg stand on the back deck by Lady Gaga and a weird rendition of the Hulk.

The upper floor was visible from below through the elegant, white railing and balcony above. Several girls were congregated below around the bottom step. Lace knew right away that someone was upstairs with a boy and the girls were standing guard. A nerdy looking guy with large glasses was quickly pushed away when he attempted to "find the upstairs bathroom".

Bibii, Keiko and Lace found Rez's gigantic hair and rushed over to him before Chai saw him. She grabbed his hamburger suit and yanked him down to her level.

"Have you seen Chai yet?" Keiko asked hurriedly.

"No, is she here? What's she wearing?" Rez asked enthusiastically.

"Rez! Look…she's already insecure about her costume as it is. Don't make her feel bad for not dressing like a total slut for you!" Bibii lectured.

"Of course I won't. You gotta admit though…some of these girls…" Rez laughed and threw back his beer bottle.

"Just don't screw it up, Rez. She really likes you." Bibii whined.

"And you have my word that I won't, wifey dear." Rez answered before blowing a kiss to Bibii. She smacked his arm and turned around blushing.

Keiko and Lace propped themselves against the wall and watched the partygoers make drunken fools of themselves. The party seemed to be gravitating around the living room, which they quickly discovered was due to Mina. Mina was standing on a small table and dancing like a stripper for some football guys. Her green hair was straightened for once and pouring over her shoulders like liquid. Her grey lingerie ensemble was hugging her tightly in all the right places for the guys to be drooling. Ryo was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Ryo?" Keiko asked. Lace felt like rolling her eyes, but she resisted.

"Maybe he had enough of her dumb shit and didn't show up."  
"No…he never leaves her side. It's weird." Keiko answered, looking around.

"Keiko. Stop obsessing and call your boyfriend. He's probably still really upset." Lace said sternly.

"He's mad because he's jealous of everyone. I mean, it's not like I _like_ Ryo or anything…he just asked me out once. It's whatever. Jake should trust me more." Keiko sighed, looking at the floor.

Lace felt annoyed. There she was without Cody and Keiko was just babbling on about a guy that may or may not like her and ignoring her boyfriend. She stopped herself mid thought. Was she just being selfish to make herself feel better? So many feelings ran through Lace's mind that she simply gave up. Why bother caring when nothing even mattered anymore.

"Hey there, grumpy."

Lace and Keiko looked up quickly to find a tall, muscular guy in a pirate costume standing beside them. He wore a black patch over one eye and his hat was beyond realistic. He leaned against the wall on his left shoulder and took a swig of whatever was in his red solo cup.

Keiko scoffed and quickly demand to know who he was, but Lace spoke over her.

"I'm not grumpy." Lace said flatly, crossing her arms.

"You sure were this morning. I mean, damn."

Lace looked at his smooth, silver eyes and felt a strange sensation of dejavu wash over her. She felt as though she'd seen him before they met at school earlier that day. How did she know him? She didn't even know his name.

"What's your name, anyway?" Lace asked.

"Seth." He answered shortly, smirking.

"Seth?...hmm…"

_Had she ever met a guy named Seth? It wasn't that common of a name, but still not unheard of._

"Don't like it?" He asked, unbothered.

"W-what? No you just…seem so familiar. And not from this morning. Have we ever met somewhere?"

He paused and laughed, "Have you been drinking? I just moved here. Remember, I was lost…trying to ask you for directions…tch, keep up."

Keiko cleared her throat, "Well…who are you here with? Are you just here alone like a weirdo?"

Lace laughed at Keiko's lack of a filter, but listened to his response closely.

"I'm here because I'm fuckin awesome. I came with my friend Hakosu. He says he knows this chick, Chai Sage, that's here. Do you know her? They're friends from his martial arts academy, but he goes to public school instead of Ritzy Ramison."

"Chai is one of our best friends. She's over there." Keiko answered quickly, pointing towards Rez and Chai standing near a large fireplace.

"Thanks. Guess I'll introduce myself."

Seth paused, taking a moment to stare Lace straight in the eyes.

"I'll uh, see you in class…what was your name again?"

"It's Lace…"

Seth tipped his hat at Lace and winked, "See you around…Lace."

"Whatever. My pirate costume is _so_ much better than his." Keiko rolled her eyes.

Lace blushed. She felt confused. Why did he feel the need to talk to her again? She was a total bitch to him before. Surely his friend would have found Chai without him asking Lace about it, too. The nerve of some guys totally overwhelmed her. He was probably just scouting out single girls.

"Oh, my God! Lace! Mina is totally making out with Eric! Look!" Keiko squealed.

"What? Take a picture!" Lace answered, shocked from her thoughts and almost dropping her flask from her cape.

Keiko fumbled with her phone and took a picture. She was about to send it to Ryo when all of sudden he busted in through the back door and grabbed Eric by the shoulders. Eric was a rather big guy, but Ryo pinned him against a wall easily with his long, slender arms. Everyone jumped back and watched for more. Ryo punched Eric in the face and Mina ran up to stop him. She pushed him away and defended Eric, publically declaring their breakup in the most dramatic fashion. Ryo stood in silence, breathing heavily. Finally, he flipped her off right to her face and stormed out of the same door he'd entered through. The partygoers seemed to resume what they were doing before the outburst, but Mina burst into tears and ran upstairs with her flurry of girls. Eric stood in shock against the wall and reached up to feel the damage to his face in horror.

Keiko's mouth hung open, her thumb still hovering above the send button on her phone. She turned to Lace and the two burst out laughing. Finally, Lace thought, revenge on Mina.

Later on in the night, Keiko and Lace joined back up with their friends who were chatting near the fireplace in a group. Rez and Christopher were both completely drunk and arguing playfully over professional football teams. Chai, who was holding Rez up on her tiny shoulder, was talking to a boy with spikey, dirty-blonde hair. He was wearing a green karate uniform and sipping from a soda can just like she'd seen Bibii doing earlier. Lace noticed several people avoiding alcohol that night, each time making her feel worse for being a drinker herself. She approached them and introduced herself to the mystery man.

"Hey you, I'm Lace. How's it going?" Lace said with a smile, feeling the effects of her vodka kicking in.

"Hi! I'm Hakosu, Chai's friend. Nice to meet you!" He answered cheerfully, holding out a hand.

He was tan like Lace and had jet black eyes like Brie's. Lace found him quite attractive. He seemed very gentle and not at all stuck on himself like that other guy, Seth. How on Earth were they friends? She turned around to introduce Keiko and saw that she was gone.

"I'm sorry…my friend was just…here!" Lace found Bibii standing nearby and grabbed her arm, yanking her over. "This is my friend, Bibii. I've got to find Keiko. See ya!"

Lace approached the back windows of the kitchen a little panicked. Kids were beginning to wind down and head out for the night, but there was still a lot of people there to search through until she could find her cousin. Drinks were everywhere. What if someone had drugged Keiko?

She slid herself behind some guys and peered out onto the porch. She found Keiko. She was standing next to Ryo, who was hanging his head over the railing and hunched over. Her initial thought was that he was drunk and sick. She decided to step out on the porch and ask if Keiko needed help with him.

When she opened the door, she found several people outside sitting around and talking. It wasn't as quiet as she thought it would be. She started towards them, but noticed that Ryo was not drunk at all. He was crying. Keiko had her hand on his shoulder and was talking softly with him. It was a humbling sight. He stood up straight and wiped his eyes before hugging Keiko tightly. Lace suddenly felt as though she was intruding on a seriously personal moment. Perhaps it was time to head home herself. The others all had rides home with their guys anyway. Maybe Keiko could catch a ride with Ryo now.

Lace started her walk home to clear her head. She would fly when she got far enough away from the party, but until then, walking was nice. So many thoughts were buzzing around in her brain that she thought she'd never get to sleep that night. She wondered if Keiko would dump Jake now that Ryo was single, but it seemed sudden. She hoped her friend didn't jump into something that fast, but who was she to judge anyone's decisions? She made a mental note to talk to Keiko about it the next day.

Her mind then moved on to Bibii. She hoped her friend hit it off with that guy…Hakosu? She wondered where he was from. The name sounded Japanese. She realized that since he was friends with Chai, who was from Japan, perhaps he was as well. That would be interesting, she thought.

Rez and Chai seemed very happy, as well as her sister and Christopher. Everyone was finding love but her. She felt the wave of grief creeping up on her again. Why did it always come in waves? Tears filled her eyes and she sniffled them away. She remembered that night when Cody held her in his arms by the window. They had no idea what was about to happen. They had no sense of time or idea of what was happening just outside of their door. It was only about what was happening in that moment. The feeling of his fingertips on her skin woke her senses. His lips on her collar bone sent her skyrocketing upwards. Then it went black. She remembered bits and pieces, but things still didn't make sense. She then woke in a hospital bed and quickly found out that the love she shared with Cody that night no longer existed. The bond was broken and she wasn't even a _distant_ memory to him. What was she going to do with herself?

"Hey."

Lace brushed away her tears quickly and turned around.

"W-What?" She snapped.

"See? Always so grumpy."

Seth was walking behind her in his stupid pirate hat.

"I really don't want to talk right now." Lace responded, walking faster.

She heard his footsteps quicken to keep up with her and rolled her eyes. He caught up and rushed in front of her, beginning to walk backwards.

"Hey, now. I didn't mean to upset you. You shouldn't be walking out here by yourself, ya know."

Lace laughed, "I can definitely take care of myself."

"Not by the looks of that big ass cast on your leg, tough girl." He laughed back.

Lace felt stupid. Of course that would look bad to someone who didn't know the real her. It still didn't make any sense why she wasn't able to protect herself that night in the first place. She was the single most powerful saiyan-human hybrid on the planet, _wasn't she?_

"I'm fine." Lace frowned.

"Okay…can I just walk with you then? It's still creepy as shit out here."

Lace grumbled, but finally shrugged and nodded. Perhaps a little company from someone who had no idea about her drama wasn't the worst thing.

"So…what happened with your leg anyway?" Seth asked, staring down at the cast.

He moved beside her and continued to stare. Lace felt awkward and figured it was time to make up yet another lie.

"I fell."

"You fell? Sheesh…okay. I thought you got in a fight or something…seems more your style. Guess you're a klutz, huh?" Seth asked playfully, "It's all good, though. I'm kind of a klutz myself."

"Why are you doing this? I thought I put you off this morning...Someone has got to be paying you to mess with me or something."

Seth looked confused, "Uh, no one put me up to anything. I had no idea who your friend was…I was really just lost. Couldn't find a damn class in that building all day. Seriously that's all."

"So you're just dumb?" Lace smirked.

"I'm actually smart as fuck. I mean, it is an AP class that we're in together, you know. Don't let these good looks undercut my academic success." He declared with a hint of sarcasm, "Also, why are you so adamantly trying to prove that I'm not talking to you with my own free will?"

Lace sighed, "Why in the hell would you want to talk to me after how I acted this morning? It's not like people want to talk to me randomly. I know I'm a bitch..."

Seth smiled sweetly, "I don't think you're a bitch. You just seem to be having a hard time with something. I guess I get that. I get it a lot, actually. So in the meantime, I just like talking to you. Are you fuckin cool with that or what?"

Lace blushed and looked away. She felt oddly happy to hear someone say something so nice.

"You cuss a lot." She said quietly.

"Yeah…sorry. I just do. So where do you live?" Seth asked, kicking a rock across the street.

"Johns Creek. You?" Lace responded, staring at the ground.

"I live in Atlanta. I commute to school."

Lace gasped, "How the hell are you gonna get home then? You got a capsule on you?"

"Nah…I'll just…walk. It's cool."

"Walk? That's at least a thirty minute drive! That's gotta take like…I dunno, two hours at least?" Lace exclaimed.

Seth looked nervous. He shook his head.

"I'm kidding. Yeah, I have a capsule I can use. It's a bike, though…I like to go fast." He said with a wink.

Lace blushed. Was he trying to sound dirty? Seth smirked and chuckled at her reaction.

"Let's see it then." She challenged.

"Um, okay…it's not the best bike, though…and I only have one helmet." He stuttered nervously.

"Who said I was going to ride it with you?" Lace answered.

"Touché."

He smirked and pulled out a small wallet with two capsules in it. He tossed a black one to the ground a little timidly, like he was nervous to reveal it to another person. When the smoke cleared, a modest bike with a ton of potential for upgrades was ready to ride. Lace could only imagine everything her father would do to it. He always loved motorcycles.

"You know how to ride?" He asked, taking the helmet in his hands.

"My dad has a ton of bikes. He lets me take one every now and then." She answered, checking the bike over.

"Cool…I'll uh, take you home." He suggested, motioning towards the bike, "That is…if you want me to. And you don't mind riding on this piece of shit."

Lace considered walking and flying home versus riding home on a bike with some dude. She smiled and started getting onto the back of it, but Seth stopped her and pushed the helmet at her.

"Take this. I don't need you busting your ass again." He lectured.

She almost refused, but decided to take it and put it on. Satisfied, he hopped on with her and started up the bike. They took off at high speed and popped a pretty dangerous wheelie. Lace flung her arms around him and squealed instinctually. She could feel him laughing. She blushed again. What was it about this guy? He was a dick at first, but without the others around, he felt kind of normal.

After a fifteen minute ride or so, Lace pointed to her house and asked him to stop. He pulled up to the curb and pushed out his kick stand. His mouth fell open and his eyes grew huge.

"Wow! This is a mansion!" Seth gasped, staring at the large, brick home in awe.

"Don't you live in a big place? Ramison isn't cheap…most people there have big houses. It's not a big deal." Lace shrugged.

"Um…yeah, I mean…my place is big, too. Ha. Well, I'm gonna head off…" Seth cleared his throat.

"Alone?" Lace asked.

"Uh…Yeah…You don't see anyone else around, do you?" Seth answered sarcastically, looking around dramatically.

"I feel bad." Lace sighed, only half paying attention.

"For what exactly?"

"I dunno…I just hate being alone. I'm…always alone." Lace answered honestly.

Seth looked sympathetically at the sad blunette, surprised at her answer. He smiled warmly.

"I'll see ya on Monday. Don't feel sad…you're pretty when you smile…"

Lace blushed scarlet and turned around quickly. She started limping towards her front door and heard Seth start up his bike again.

"Hey, Lace!"

Lace turned around and groaned, ready to go inside and lay down.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Just so you know…you look smokin' hot in that costume! I hope you knew that. Night!"

Lace gasped and felt like her head might explode from embarrassment. What was he thinking? What was _she_ thinking? She shouldn't even be giving a guy like him the time of day. What would Cody think?

_Oh._

_Cody wouldn't think anything of it. He didn't even remember who she was.__  
_  
Just like that, the pain was back. She managed to forget about it for a while, but it always returned with brute force. This paralyzing pain was simply unavoidable.


	7. Chapter 7

Thanksgiving was fast approaching, and it seemed as though the teachers at Ramison were beginning to wrap up their units in preparation for the dreaded semester testing. In addition, Fall school sports were finishing up their seasons. Lace noticed her friends' free time opening up, forcing her to spend more time with them and less time wallowing. It was nice. Sometimes.

The Saturday before break week, the usual gang met up at a coffee shop before heading to a big conference center in the city. A national martial arts tournament was being held there. Bibii and Chai were participating with their afterschool dojo's and invited everyone to come out and support them. Needless to say, Lace's interest was piqued. How did regular humans train? She was beyond curious.

Lace arrived to the shop with Brie in their mother's big SUV. She saw Keiko standing off to the side with Jake and giggling. The two had made up since the Halloween party and become quite the item. They were frequent offenders of the school's PDA policy and very good at making their friends just a bit uncomfortable.

Rez and Christopher rolled up in Rez's huge black truck and parked behind Lace's SUV shortly after. They stepped out and Rez bounded happily over to Brie and Lace. He scooped them up into a gigantic hug, squeezing all of the air out of their lungs.

"Hey, hands off my lady, man!" Christopher joked, stealing Brie from his mighty grasp and wrapping her up in his own embrace.

"Rez…I…gotta…lock…my…car…" Lace gasped.

"I'm super pumped for today! Chai is gonna kick some ass! Maybe I should enter a tournament sometime…what do you think? With these muscles…aw, yeah…" Rez laughed, patting Lace on the back.

"The touching, Rez. Why must you always _touch_ people?" Lace groaned slithering away from him.

"Really the three of us could totally join. We all have training in martial arts. Our grandfathers basically live for it." Brie bragged to Christopher, who looked at her with stars in his eyes.

"Really? You can do karate and stuff? That's so cool!" Rez exclaimed before catching a scent from the coffee shop and floating towards the entrance.

"Should we get going?" Keiko asked, approaching the group with her hand locked into Jake's.

Lace pointed towards the shop and laughed. Rez was pressing his forehead right up onto the glass and staring inside.

"Hey, guys? Can someone buy me a snack? I'm hungry and it smells so amazing in there!" Rez whined.

After Rez's need to feed was successfully quenched, they took off for the main event of the day.

Driving along quietly, Lace tried her best to keep herself in the conversation bustling behind her. Keiko and Brie were both babbling on about their boyfriends. It was strange. Lace didn't feel as threatened by their conversation as she had only a few short weeks prior. She didn't have the same horrible pain stabbing into her heart.

Chai and Bibii had bonded over their shared passion for martial arts and frequently talked about it around Lace, Keiko and Brie. It always prompted the three to chuckle under their breath and give each other looks. If only Bibii and Chai knew just how much the Brief and Son families knew about martial arts, they probably wouldn't be bragging quite so much. Lace often felt angry that she had to hide her true self from the first real friends she'd ever had. If only she could brag about her own abilities, maybe she wouldn't be so sad all the time.

When they arrived, they parked their cars in the crowded lot beside one another. Lace noticed Keiko dart her eyes towards a car and gasp, but she didn't say anything further. They hopped out and followed the people heading for the main entrance. The conference building that held the ballroom for the tournament was at the center of a massive campus decorated with exotic flowers and statues. The top of the large grey building was layered and spikey, resembling that of a building Lace saw in Sydney, Australia on vacation once.

People were everywhere, especially different school groups, representing their academies by clothing colors. They entered the building through a set of glass doors and looked up. The ceiling was very high and decorated with a sparkling chandelier. The escalator directly in front of them led to the floor on which the fights would take place, so they hopped on and headed for their seats.

On the top floor, two women in yellow sweaters took tickets and pointed people into a lavish ballroom where rows and rows of seats lined the perimeter. Lace couldn't believe the environment. They'd all been to a Japanese world martial arts tournament, but never an American one on a smaller, more kid friendly scale. They quickly took their seats and watched the sidelines where Chai and Bibii sat. They were both clearly nervous. When an announcer introduced the fighters, the girls filed onto the center of the floor. Each student did an arm motion, signaling the seriousness and dedication of all fighters in the arena. Lace couldn't help but let out a small giggle, to which Keiko slapped her arm gently. How strange, she thought.

While an announcer began to speak about dedication and hard work, someone plopped down next to Lace. She hated being on the end where people could just walk up and sit by her. Sitting next to strangers was one of her biggest pet peeves, especially if they were wearing perfume or had kids with them.

"Hey guys. Imagine seeing all of you here…" Seth smiled.

"What are _you_ doing here? I didn't invite you." Lace startled angrily.

"Woah, woah…I came to see a friend, not you…no offence. I just thought that I'd sit here when I saw you all looking confused as hell."

The announcer continued his speech. A few people turned around and shushed Seth and Lace, but Seth didn't seem to notice them at all. Lace felt awkward, but also felt the need to defend her own knowledge of the sport. She cleared her throat and tried to whisper as quietly as she could.

"I'll have you know that _I'm_ a very gifted martial artist. I'm not confused, I totally understand what's going on, this just isn't my scene. I'm used to bigger tournaments with adults, not other kids..." Lace bragged, crossing her arms.

A loud call from the announcer indicated that the first match was about to start. He called out Bibii's name first and asked her to approach the stage. Her friends cheered and watched her walk onto the mat confidently, but Lace could sense her nervousness radiating like heat from an oven. What could possibly be making her _so_ nervous? It was a simple match.

Bibii took one step at a time and breathed in visibly shaking. Brie called out one last cheer before the announcer called on her opponent.

"Hakosu!"

Seth hooted and hollered for his friend. Lace rolled her eyes. She watched the dirty-blonde walk out onto the mat calmly with a serious face. She wondered if he remembered Bibii. Lace quickly recalled that Chai and Hakosu were in the same academy. Was _this_ what was making Bibii so nervous?

"Let the match begin!"

Bibii bowed slowly as Hakosu did the same. In a split second, the match was on. He shot forward and went straight at her.

"What is Hakosu doing here?" Brie demanded of the group.

"Well, obviously he's a brilliant fighter. Guess you weren't there when I mentioned he and Chai are in the same class." Seth said matter-of-factly, slouching back against the wall and rolling his eyes at her.

"A _brilliant_ fighter? Look at his blocks…she's totally getting the better end of him!" Lace said, staring forward as engaged as someone actually participating in the fight.

"Oh, really? You think so?" Seth laughed.

"I know so. Bibii is talented. He's just taunting her…what is he hiding?" Lace squinted and watched on.

She felt Seth sit up again and lean towards her. Her stomach knotted up. Why was he sitting so close in the first place?

"So what about you, huh? Where'd you learn to fight?" Seth asked, ignoring the match.

"I'm trying to concentrate, Seth." She snapped, nervously avoiding eye contact.

"I see that. Only an experienced eye could concentrate like that at one of these boring ass events…" Seth chuckled, "Maybe you do know what you're doing."

"It's not boring! It's art…it's…yes!" The crowd cheered as Bibii struck Hakosu down.

"Oh…all hell is gonna break loose now." Seth snickered while staring at the ceiling, still unamused.

"What do you mean?" Keiko asked, breaking away from her cuddle session with Jake.

"I mean…watch the damn match."

Seth's response was enough to prompt a slap in the face, but Jake restrained Keiko. Lace giggled under her breath. She'd never heard a boy speak to Keiko that way. He had no idea what she was capable of.

The group continued to stare forward and watched as Hakosu spiraled into a new formation. His stance changed. His power level rose.

What the hell was he? That wasn't a normal human's ki, but it was still human-like.

He went for Bibii at full speed and took her down before she even had a chance. The crowd went wild, but Lace saw something more than a talented fighter as he stood to claim his victory. His technique was too refined and too different to be just pure talent. He had someone training him from a different discipline. She made a mental note to figure it out, but instead turned to her lofty seat-mate and slapped his arm.

"Ow…what the hell?" Seth laughed, now a little bit engaged with the fight.

"What was that? That wasn't karate or anything else that I've seen…do you know?"

"I don't know what it's called, but I'm sure he'd tell you if you asked." Seth shrugged.

"I don't know him. I'm not gonna ask him who trains him. That's rude." Lace stated flatly.

"Okay then you're out of luck."

Lace could tell he was also hiding something from her, but she decided to re-focus on the match instead of going back and forth with Seth.

"Chai, please come forward!" The announcer yelled. Chai stood and confidently marched onto the stage.

"Oh, look at my girl! She looks so cute! If anyone tries to hurt my girl, I'll come right out there on that mat and beat the shit outta them!" Rez hollered.

"You can't do that, man. Stay cool. She's good, right? You said she was good." Christopher reassured him, getting excited.

"_Your_ girl? I thought you guys weren't official?" Brie added with her signature snark.

"Nah, she's mine! I'll defend her until the end!" Rez announced with a finger pointed in the air. Everyone but Seth laughed at him.

"What's your problem?" Lace grumbled when she noticed Seth frowning.

"I dunno…guess I'm a little jealous? Uh-oh, look out, you know one of my deep, dark secrets now." He responded sarcastically, wiggling his fingers at her.

Damn, what a douche, Lace thought to herself. She considered what he said. Had he been dumped recently or something? What happened? Lace was sure the girl probably dumped him for being such a jerk. She didn't care. She actually didn't want to know. Or maybe she did.

"So…what happened...to the girl…?" Lace asked out loud, thinking she was still in her own head.

She wanted to grab the words and stuff them back in her mouth. She wasn't supposed to care.

The match began, cutting off their conversation. Chai attacked with fury. The crowd screamed super loud. Rez squealed so highly-pitched, that Lace couldn't hear Seth respond even if he wanted to. He simply stared at her with his steely-grey eyes and a slight frown. He was strangely intimidating.

"There you go! That's my girl! I love you, Chai!" Rez screamed.

"Rez, sit your ass down before you embarrass her!" Brie exclaimed, grabbing his shirt and yanking him down.

"You _love_ her?" Keiko added, poking his shoulder and smiling.

"_Yeah_, I love her! I'm gonna tell her to her face as soon as she wins this match!"

Rez seemed to come into a larger understanding of what he'd just said in that moment. He was absolutely beaming with pride.

Suddenly, Lace felt overwhelmed with emotions. She watched the sparring for another moment and felt something inside of her breaking. This was her life with Cody. Martial Arts was what tied them together so tightly. Every kick and every punch flooded her mind with images from her past. Her sad, messed up past. It was too much to handle. She stood up and excused herself from the group. Keiko and Brie looked at each other and tried to follow, but to their surprise, Seth stood up and followed her out instead.

Lace stood outside of the main tournament room and paced back and forth. She had her hands on both hips and attempted to slow her breathing and avoid hyperventilation one second at a time. She remembered what Vegeta told her once before about breathing and stopped pacing. She leaned forward and tried to steady her mind. She gave it her best shot, but nothing was working to dampen this feeling of panic taking over her. She looked up and saw a sign for the women's bathroom. She had to hide. _No one_ could ever see Lace cry.

She looked around, but the whole floor was empty. Everyone was inside watching Chai crush her opponent. She rushed to the handle and flung open the bathroom door.

She examined the bathroom stalls to make sure that she was alone before unraveling. The cheers from the match could be heard through the ventilation, muting her cries from anyone passing by. She felt badly for leaving at such a high point for her friend, but her crisis was unavoidable. No one understood how she felt and she couldn't tell anyone the whole truth. She couldn't be honest about herself, nor could she tell her friends what really happened that night. She was starting to wonder if it was all a dream in the first place.

In the midst of her grief, she was beginning to wonder what it was exactly that kept triggering her into this panicked state. Cody wasn't even dead. He was alive and she wasn't going to see him on purpose. Was she still in love with him or had it all vanished when he looked into her eyes and didn't know who she was? Perhaps she was only holding on to the memory of someone she could tell anything to without being judged. Thoughts swirled through her head and she began to feel sick.

She leaned over the sink and turned on the fancy, silver faucet. Cold water rushed into the sink bowl. She cupped her hands and splashed her face. She slowly looked up and opened her still-crying eyes to see a face standing directly behind her.

"Holy shit!" Lace exclaimed.

"Sorry…didn't mean to sneak up on you. I-I wanted to make sure that you were okay." Seth answered calmly.

"You followed me into the bathroom? Are you serious? What is your problem? Stalker!"

Lace stormed towards the exit, but Seth quickly began talking again.

"No, please. I just…I know what you're going through…I've…I've been there." Seth's admission filled the air with tension.

"How is that possible? How do you even know what happened to me?" Lace demanded.

"It's a little obvious…your boyfriend died, right?"

Lace's eyes widened and her heart stopped completely.

"I um…I lost…someone a few years back. When I moved here to Ramison I was just starting to get over it, until I heard what happened. After I met you that day and I heard people talking about it I realized why you were so short with me. Hell, I would have totally ignored me if I were you. It all made sense."

Lace couldn't breathe. How was she supposed to tell him that Cody wasn't actually dead?

"Then I saw you at that party without a date looking miserable and it just hit home even harder. I used to feel like I was alone all the time…you know, after it happened. Even when my friends were with me. It was like…I don't know, like they didn't see me. They didn't feel my pain, you know? I was invisible. I used to think they deserved a taste of the pain so that I didn't feel so bad. That's pretty terrible, right?"

"Yeah…terrible…" Lace whispered, relating to Seth on every possible level.

"Right. Well, I wanted to make sure you weren't going to come in here and kill yourself or some shit. You're so damn dark all the time. I was legit worried."

"Are you crazy? I wouldn't do that. Besides, why do you care what I do? You don't even know me!" Lace sputtered defensively.

"Sorry, it's just that I like you. I mean…I know enough about you to like you, Lace. So yeah, I care, I guess. It's new for me, too. There isn't a manual or something for this." Seth answered, rolling his eyes, "It's not like I fuckin planned it. You just kinda…drew me in with all that scary lady talk."

Lace froze and turned bright red. He _liked_ her? There was no way that it was possible. She'd been nothing but rude to him since the moment they met. They'd _only_ just met. No one ever liked Lace. No one but Cody. Right?

"That's…that's ridiculous!" Lace scoffed, crossing her arms.

"Is it? You're drop dead gorgeous…you're complicated and mysterious…I don't really know what it is specifically about you. I have been dying to ask you out since I saw you sitting there on those steps, but I could tell you were hurting when you flipped out on me and I didn't want to be disrespectful…Then when I took you home from that Halloween party…well, shit, I didn't even mean to tell you all this right now, but I did so…yeah. "

Seth's raw honesty was refreshing. There were no secrets with him. Anything he was thinking came flying out of his mouth. Lace didn't have to play games and guess how he was feeling. Things could be so easy with someone like that. Cody was never that honest. Since he was standing there spilling out his feelings to her, she couldn't allow him to leave the room thinking that she lost Cody forever. It wasn't right. She had to practice a little honesty herself.

"Well…the thing is…my boyfriend didn't die. He wasn't my boyfriend, either, really. He…he's in the hospital…he has amnesia from a bad accident…he doesn't remember who I am. It's the same accident that broke my leg. All I got was a lousy cast…The doctor's say that he'll never regain his memory. We grew up together…our entire lives…now he doesn't even know my name. It's been really hard. I lost my best friend, but he's right down the street in a hospital bed. I can't even go and visit him because it just confuses him more…It's not fair…It should've been me, not him."

Seth's eyes changed from hopeful and light to grim and complex. He let out a small sigh and stared down at the floor. She didn't want anyone to think that Cody had died just for her own pity, but she felt a little guilty for ruining the thing that Seth felt drew him to her.

She prepared herself for him to storm away angrily or call her a liar. He probably felt a little silly for thinking that her boyfriend died some tragic death when he just lost his memory. How shameful of her to make someone think that by the way she was acting in the first place.

He slowly picked his head back up and met her gaze intensely.

"That…is the saddest thing…that I've ever heard." Seth whispered.

"What?" Lace asked in shock.

Time stood still. The crowd stopped cheering and the room was completely silent aside from a faucet dripping. She inhaled and stared straight into his eyes anxiously awaiting some kind of explanation. There it was again. That nagging feeling in her gut was back. Why did he feel so familiar to her?

"I'm so sorry, Lace…"

Seth took a careful step towards her. She braced herself, not knowing if he was about to yell or tell her that she was terrible. His face and demeanor had completely changed to something unreadable. She backed away slightly and felt her heart begin to race.

Suddenly, Lace felt two muscular arms wrap around her tightly. He buried his face into her shoulder and nuzzled her slightly. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

_What was happening?_

She hesitated. She generally didn't like being touched, but this felt different. A warmth deep inside of her began to boil up to the surface. She felt safe and secure, like he wasn't going to hurt her, no matter what happened. His comfort was genuine and sincere in a way she'd never experienced. He really did want her to feel happy instead of alone and miserable.

She slowly reached her hands around his waist making her way up his back. She was a little shocked. He was completely muscle. She felt along his back and felt his muscles flex slightly as he squeezed her. She ran one hand over his soft shirt and up to his hair. She didn't mean to touch his hair, but it was so silky and smelled so good that she couldn't resist.

_What was she doing?_

She felt an odd feeling, something deep down inside of her was igniting and causing her fingertips to go numb. She felt like he was grasping to life, like he needed her to keep living. But they were in the middle of a public bathroom for goodness sake, what if someone came in? Why wasn't he letting her go?

A few more seconds went by as she continued to wrestle with her thoughts. When she was finally about to pull back, she felt him lift away from her shoulder slightly and stumble backwards. He breathed in gently, like all the air in his lungs had slowly drained away. He regained his composure and touched his hand to his hair where Lace had been twirling it in her fingers.

Lace stared into his sad eyes. She had to know more about him. She wanted to experience that excitement again. Her stomach was in knots and fluttering about as she lowered her hands to her sides. He was close to her face, still staring at her. He looked away and blushed, smirking and clearing his throat.

"I'm sorry about that…" He whispered.

He looked back to her. His lips parted ever so slightly, like he was about to say something. Lace tried to back away towards the exit, but her feet were glued in place. Her heavy cast was too much for her weakened leg to move. Her knees were shaky. She noticed that her palms were beginning to sweat.

"We should get back." Lace said softly.

"Yeah…we should." Seth choked nervously.

Cheers erupted through the vents again. Chai must have won her match. Lace looked up and began to smile for her friend's victory, but Seth lunged forward and kissed her like a rabid animal. He shoved her back against the wall and pinned her hands above her head. He pressed against her. She could feel his perfect eight pack on her own flat stomach. She stopped kissing him to take a breath of air, but he found her lips again and continued kissing her relentlessly. The cheers were drowning out their audible moaning sounds, but to be safe, Seth reached over and locked the bathroom door, hitting the light switch as well. She wasn't sure if he'd done that on purpose or not.

There they were in a black room, senses on fire and glued together like magnets. His electrifying touch surged through her body from head to toe. She felt him move down to her neck with his lips before he picked her up and wrapped her legs around him. He pushed her against the wall again with force. She started to feel her head spin out of control. Her stomach tightened and her jaw clenched. She felt his hand on her thigh, dangerously close to wandering up her shirt.

A bang on the door startled them both. Seth backed up and almost dropped Lace, but caught her in time and set her down gently. Lace cleared her throat, about to announce that she'd be just one minute, but Seth spoke up instead.

"Um, occupied?" He growled.

"What the…_Seth?_ Lace, it's Keiko! Open the freaking door! What the hell are you doing?"

Lace panicked. She flipped on the light switch and rushed to unlock the door. Seth walked off to the corner to calm himself down. He leaned his forehead against the glossy window before letting out an annoyed groan and crossed his arms.

Keiko burst through the door. Lace stood guilty-as-charged. Keiko's eyes were huge, staring first at her cousin and then to Seth and then back again.

"And just what the _hell_ were you two doing in here?" Keiko demanded.

"N-nothing! We were just talking!" Lace exclaimed, blushing like crazy.

"Get out, Seth! I need to talk to her!"

Keiko pointed to the door and glared angrily at Seth.

"Alright, alright. Damn." He said quickly, "…I'll uh…see you around, Lace."

He stopped to return Keiko's glare before exiting the bathroom and leaving the girls alone. Lace relaxed and fell back against the cold wall, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"What the hell, Lace? Did you kiss him?" Keiko growled.

"I…yeah…I did…he did…what…I don't even know what just happened." Lace choked out, looking everywhere but at Keiko.

"Look…I don't have time for Seth drama right now. Jake wants to hang out at his place afterwards and I'm like freaking out. His parents are never home, so it'll just be us. What should I do?"

"Do you _want_ to go with him?" Lace asked sincerely, "I'll cover for you if you need me to."

Keiko looked conflicted, "I…I want to…"

"Then do it!" Lace shrugged.

"But what if he wants to…you know…" Keiko gasped, "I don't think I'm…I'm not ready!"

"Then don't do that. Just hang out. Honestly Keiko, you're so high-strung. Chill." Lace giggled.

The girls left the bathroom together and rejoined their friends inside of the auditorium. Lace had every intention of continuing her conversation with Seth, but he was gone. She felt a bit let down, but figured he was just embarrassed that Keiko caught them.

She took a quick peek over at Keiko and Jake, who were back to cuddling and laughing with each other. She smiled. That was how a couple should look, right? Not sneaking around behind people's backs and lying. Maybe what happened was actually a good thing. Maybe, just maybe, it saved Lace and Cody from a lifetime of ridicule and stigma. Maybe her life wasn't all that bad after all.


	8. Chapter 8

High in Cody's lavish suite of the Westin hotel, the blast hit them like a ton of bricks. Lace felt the glass from the window slice into her cheek as she began to tumble from the skyscraper. She tried to fly and catch herself in the air, but it was impossible. Something was blocking her powers.

_Was this fear? __  
_  
"Lace!"

Cody's voice sounded distant. She felt someone grab her in midair, but another blast from the building pushed them away from her. She had lost control. She couldn't land safely like this. It was only a matter of time before she felt the devastating blow of Earth below her.

"Lacey stay with me!" Cody's muffled voice yelled, farther away this time.

They were still falling fast. She could hear the humans around them screaming and hitting the ground. Were they dying? They had to be. It was too far to survive the fall.

She felt the pavement for a split second before losing consciousness. When her eyes opened again, a huge piece of debris was about to crush her underneath.

"Look out!"

Sometime later, Lace woke up with her head pounding. The pain was raw. She squinted upwards and saw the hotel that had been standing tall for years in complete ruins. She was laying on the road in the middle of the city, but no one else was around. There were no firetrucks or police. There were no people. It was silent.

She tried to sit up but grabbed her throbbing head quickly. She looked at her hand and found it covered in blood. Complete panic set over her. She looked around desperately for Cody, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Cody!" Lace screamed.

She began to cry out of fear. And maybe out of pain. She couldn't see out of her right eye very well.

"Shut your mouth, girl." A woman's voice scolded.

Lace looked up and found the woman she'd seen inside the hotel with the large, spikey haired man standing over her. She wore a green and white armored top with golden straps on her shoulders. She had a small, green device over her eye and pressed a button on the side. Lace recognized it from her grandmother's lab. It beeped as numbered flashed across to screen. The woman laughed. Lace tried to sit up, but the woman kicked her straight in the chest. The blow knocked the wind right from her lungs.

"You'll stay down if you know what's good for you, half-breed." She scoffed.

Lace gasped. Her accent was exactly like Vegeta's.

"Do you know who I am? W-What I'm capable of?" Lace coughed pridefully.

Blood flew out of her mouth onto the cement in front of her.

"Don't make me laugh."

Lace shut her mouth quickly and tried to assess the situation. She gasped again when the woman's appearance registered in her mind. She had a tail. It waved around behind her just as her uncle Tarble's did. Bra had all three of her children's tails removed permanently at birth. Lace stopped panicking and felt for the woman's ki. She gasped when she felt the power that this woman possessed. She was definitely a pure-blooded saiyan.

"Show her, Raditz." The woman growled.

_Raditz?_ Why did that name sound familiar? The large man laughed and threw what he was dragging at Lace.

It was Cody.

His body slammed into her and knocked her backwards. He coughed and opened his eyes from his flattened position on the ground. He reached out for her, but the woman kicked him in the ribs.

"Pathetic excuses for the saiyan race."

Lace stared down at Cody and noticed that his eyes weren't glowing. They were pale and almost brown. She grabbed him up into her arms tightly. She was shivering in fear now. Was this the end?

Where were Vegeta and Goku?

"You're not going to hurt him! Leave him alone and kill me instead!" Lace screamed.

The woman rolled her eyes, but Raditz laughed. The woman approached Lace with a look of disgust and narrowed her evil-looking eyes.

"You pathetic halfling! A saiyan woman never sacrifices herself for a man! Disgrace!"

She stamped her foot down on Lace's leg, snapping it like a twig. Lace screamed, but Cody didn't wake from the sound. His body was limp and pale. Lace feared that he was dead. She reached for her leg and shook violently in pain. Raditz grabbed the woman by the shoulder and spun her around.

"They're coming. I can feel their energy approaching...we've caused a bit of a scene. They must have felt us powering up during the explosion. We're not ready for Kakarott and Vegeta together just yet. Trust me. We need to get back on the ship. We'll return after the project is completed." Raditz demanded, swishing his own tail around behind him.

The woman nodded reluctantly. They flew upwards and headed for a large ship that was just barely visible in the clearing dust. Lace's eyes grew huge. It was the ship she'd seen in her dreams for years. It was the ship she drew on Cody's tenth birthday.

It was the ship of King Vegeta.

Wounded worse than she'd ever been in her life, Lace coughed and looked down at Cody. He was out cold and bleeding badly. She cried out for him and tried to power up, but everything went black again.

Lace stared around her dark bedroom screaming at the top of her lungs. Bra and Goten burst into her room.

"Not again! Lacey, wake up! It's okay!" Bra said breathlessly, sitting on the side of her bed and grabbing her into a hug.

"This is getting ridiculous, Bra. We've got to tell your mother. She might be able to help this time before things get out of hand." Goten pleaded, looking panicked.

Brie and Gin appeared in Lace's doorway clutching each other and shaking.

"Brie, go find the thermometer." Bra demanded, "She's definitely burning up. What did you see this time, honey?"

"I-I…saw…Cody…two saiyans…" Lace whispered.

She looked up at her father, but he frowned and shook his head.

"Two saiyans?" Goten asked, taking the thermometer from Brie's hand and sticking it in Lace's mouth, "Wait for the beep."

The thermometer beeped, revealing Lace's temperature to be 101.4. Bra gasped and headed off to her bathroom to find some Motrin. Goten brushed Lace's hair from her face with his giant, cold hand and nodded for her to continue.

"There was a man and a woman. The man's name…I think it was Raditz?" Lace pondered.

"Raditz?" Goten repeated.

"That sounds like a vegetable…" Brie added, entering Lace's room and sitting on her black butterfly chair.

"Why does it sound familiar, though?" Goten asked sincerely.

Bra returned with some medicine and handed it to her husband. She sat on the edge of Lace's bed and shook her head.

"Maybe I'll call Tarble in the morning…see what he says. I don't need dad freaking out over this..." Bra suggested, placing a hand on Goten's back.

"We should let her sleep it off for now…if it happens again, I need you two to stay in your rooms. Understand me?" Goten said firmly to his younger two children.

"Yes, sir." They said in unison.

Goten began shooing everyone out of Lace's room. Lace could hear her siblings return to their rooms, but Goten and Bra were still standing just outside of her door. She heard them whispering nervously, but couldn't make out what they were saying. Eventually she drifted off.

When morning arrived, Lace heard her cellphone alarm beeping. She opened her eyes slowly and felt a pounding headache strike the left side of her head. She groaned and covered her face.

"You up?" Brie asked, peeking in Lace's door.

Brie must've heard the alarm.

"Yeah…kinda…" Lace answered sleepily.

"Get up. Don't you have a big test today?" Brie asked softly, trying not to wake their brother.

"Yeah I'm getting up. I'm fine." Lace answered shortly, rolling over and uncovering herself.

Lace slowly meandered over to her closet and pulled her uniform off of a hanger clumsily. She threw the shirt and skirt on the bed and groaned as she began to change. Her head wouldn't stop throbbing. She decided to take some advil before heading off to school, but she dreaded the loud hallways and bright lights of the school.

When Brie and Lace arrived at Ramison, they took a seat on the edge of the fountain and began chatting about random subjects. Lace pulled her phone out of her bag and began checking the weather. It looked pretty dim outside, like it might rain later on.

"Hey!"

Lace jumped and dropped her large, black purse onto the ground. Seth reached down and handed it to her.

"Why do you keep doing that? Stop sneaking up on me!" Lace growled.

"Sorry." He imitated in her voice, "You're the jumpy one. You look kinda pale…everyting okay?"

Seth sat down next to her and took out a textbook with homework inside of it.

"I'm fine…I had a weird dream last night. That's all." Lace answered.

"Uh-oh…I hope it wasn't about our little encounter in the bathroom this weekend."

"Woah!" Brie exclaimed, "_What?_"

"Shit! Thanks, Seth!" Lace shouted, slapping his arm angrily.

"Damn, my bad. You really didn't tell anyone about it? That hurts." He joked.

"Well on that note…I'm gonna go find Christopher…" Brie laughed, blushing.

As soon as Brie was out of earshot, Lace scooted closer to Seth and looked at him seriously. He was still smirking, looking as though he'd made the funniest joke he'd ever thought of.

"Look…_that_ can't happen again. I don't even know you! I don't know what the hell happened or why it happened, but it was a onetime thing, okay?"

"I disagree. You know more about me than anyone else around here does." Seth shrugged, looking back at his text book, "Besides, you liked it."

"Are you fucking serious?" Lace groaned.

"I told you something kinda personal, ya know." He was growing impatient, "You should be grateful and appreciate that. I really don't open up that easily."

"Sure. I'm sure you had plenty of girls wrapped around your little finger at your old school. I know your type. You're just a douchey player."

Seth laughed, looking up from his textbook. He slammed it shut and slowly looked down at Lace.

"It's okay if you don't care. I mean, it's not like it's your problem anyway."

He was clearly a bit hurt by her assumption. She blushed and looked away from him. After the dust settled and the air couldn't possibly get any thicker, Lace sighed.

"I'm sorry. A lot has been going on at home." Lace said weakly.

"Really? In your big mansion? Daddy didn't buy you something?" Seth teased sourly.

"What? I'm not like that at all. And you go here, too! You can't bash someone who's rich if you're rich, too." Lace practically shouted.

"Who said I'm rich? And no, I guess you're right…I really don't know you at all. Here's the thing. I don't have time for guessing games, so I'll just see you around and you can forget about everything. Does that make you happy?"

Seth got up and stormed off without another word.

"Seth, wait!" Lace called after him, feeling guilty.

He didn't turn around. Other students bustled around her and didn't take notice, either. They all seemed wrapped up in their own problems. She sighed. Perhaps this was just the way life would be. Maybe drama followed her. She decided to go for a little walk on the school greenway to clear her mind before class.

The greenway that ran next to the school grounds was beautiful and lined with orange and brown leaves. Fall was so colorful in Georgia. She headed down the hill and into the woods in a daze. She felt a chilly gust of air and zipped her leather jacket shut.

As she walked along the path, she took out her phone and snapped a few pictures of the leaves and the path. She liked taking pictures, but instead of sharing them on Instagram like everyone else, she liked to keep them to herself.

Deeper into the woods, Lace heard a few sticks break ahead. She stopped and listened, but before she could hear anything, she could feel a familiar energy. It was Keiko. Her powerful energy was completely open. Anyone with a sense for ki could come by and find her. What was she doing out in the woods all alone?

She peeked around a tree and saw her cousin walking next to Jake. Were they ditching class today? That wasn't like Jake, but with Keiko's continuous influence, he might consider it'

"So what were you talking about yesterday?" Keiko asked, "You seemed so sad…"

Jake sighed, "Haven't you ever wondered why you've never met my parents?"

Keiko laughed, kicking a rock, "Not really."

Lace saw Jake's face change from hesitant and shy to a little offended.

"Oh…"

"I just thought you were trying to like…sneak me into your house. You said they travel a lot, right? So why would I wonder? Are they like…mobsters or something?"

Keiko wasn't taking him seriously. Jake was getting a bit frustrated, but he was far too sweet to admit that to her. They began walking further away, so Lace scooted up by two more trees, looking over her shoulder anxiously.

"They aren't mobsters…but they aren't good people, either. If they were home, I don't think I'd even want you to meet them. My father…he's just a horrible person."

"He looked normal in all your family portraits all over the place." Keiko shrugged, "I can't imagine he'd be _that_ bad if he raised a guy like you."

Lace wanted to gag. She rolled her eyes and watch Jake turn into a giant pile of mush, grabbing Keiko into his arms and kissing the side of her head. They began to kiss against a tree.

"Shit…" Lace mouthed silently, panicking.

She looked around at the ground. Twigs, leaves and all kinds of noisy things were right at her feet. She tried to sneak away and took a delicate step towards another tree that looked like she could climb it. If she could climb up quickly, she could take off from the top and Keiko would never know what she saw. If she could just make it to the next tree over…

"Lace?" Keiko screeched.

Lace froze. She turned around slowly and saw Keiko and Jake, still embracing, staring at her. She stopped sneaking away and started to laugh awkwardly.

"Uh, hey there you two! How about this crazy depressing weather, right?"

Keiko broke away from Jake and stomped forward a few feet.

"What the hell? Were you following us?" Keiko demanded.

"No! No, actually I was just taking a walk. I swear!" Lace sputtered nervously.

"I gotta go…I'll uh…I'll text you…" Jake muttered before quickly heading the other direction.

Lace burst out laughing.

"Oh, my God! You _bitch!_" Keiko laughed, suddenly back to her usual self.

"I'm so sorry, really. I wasn't following you. That was the _last_ thing I wanted to see…" Lace groaned, "You guys seem to be getting pretty serious."

"Sorta. After the tournament, we went to Jake's and it was like…surreal. His house looks like a magazine ad inside. The only personal things around are these formal portraits with his parents…he wouldn't go up to his room, though. Like, we just stayed on the couch in the living room and made out for literally ever."

"So you're over Ryo, then? Like…totally?" Lace asked.

Keiko paused long enough for Lace to know the answer. Keiko shook her head.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" Keiko laughed nervously.

"Whatever. I won't mention your little ditch-school-to-make-out session to the gang as long as you keep my secret locked up…especially from Brie!"

Keiko laughed and leaned on Lace with her elbow.

"Oh, you mean _your_ make out session in a public bathroom with the douche bag himself? I mean…he _is_ super sexy…I'd probably make out with him, too…" Keiko considered a mental image of Seth before continuing, "So how'd that happen, anyway? And why in the bathroom?"

"It just kinda happened. He kissed me and...I kissed him back. But I wouldn't get too excited…actually I think I screwed everything up with him just now…maybe. I don't know anymore."

"What do you mean? What's up?"

"I had this terrible nightmare again last night…I was feeling weird and then he went and ambushed me about my feelings and shit this morning. I couldn't focus. Honestly…the nightmare was more of a memory. The accident…it all came back…"

Keiko's eyes widened. "What…what do you mean?"

"I don't really know. I think we need to go and see grandpa Vegeta tonight…I have some questions for him specifically. I don't think my parents were being honest with me about stuff last night when I asked them...Keiko, there are other saiyans here on Earth. I _saw_ them. Two of them! The man's name was Raditz."

"Other saiyans? Like…from aunt Caulifla and uncle Cabba's universe?"

"I have no idea. They didn't look like it…they looked all crazy buff. Besides, uncle Tarble told us that after he and Caulifla left for good, universe six and seven were permanently cut off from each other. They aren't allowed to go back…Beerus would destroy Earth if they did. I don't know the details other than that, but there's no way that someone could get through the universal boundaries without Beerus or Whis knowing about it."

Keiko nodded. She didn't ask any more questions. She looked to be in deep thought. Lace was sure that after they uncovered more of the truth, things would start getting scary, but if they were to throw in their crazy girl drama…she couldn't think about it anymore for the day.

The bell for homeroom rang and interrupted them from their chat. Lace looked at her cousin and smirked before taking off on foot through the trees. Keiko started after her and caught up, pushing her to the side. Lace felt a bit relieved. Nothing like a good run to start the day.

At lunch, the group gathered at the table like usual. Brie and Christopher were ranting about a Freshmen paper assignment, to which a weary Keiko and clueless, Sophomore-Jake agreed. Lace hadn't had a research paper yet and felt super grateful for that.

Rez approached with newly-official girlfriend Chai and plopped down next to Christopher. He told him to stop whining about school and started ranting about blowing up a cake in cooking club that morning. Chai confirmed his story and said he broiled it instead of baking it. The group found Rez's misfortune hilarious.

Bibii, who sat texting frantically at the table and blushing like crazy, was awfully quiet. Keiko leaned over and took her phone right from her hands in typical Keiko fashion. She read out loud, 'I can't wait to see you this weekend!' Dude…Bibii has a date with that guy from the tournament that kicked her ass!"

"He did not! He is just really talented!" Bibii growled, grabbing back her phone and turning scarlet red.

"You've got that right. He is a really hard worker. I think you'll really enjoy his company this weekend." Chai smiled sweetly.

Rez winked from behind her and made a strange gesture with his hands, clearly thinking dirty and making Christopher burst out laughing.

"What about you and that guy, Lace? You seemed to disappear for a while together…" Bibii asked with a smirk, looking desperately for someone else to put the heat onto, "I saw you two chase after each other from a mile away!"

"Ah…I pissed him off this morning." Lace admitted sadly.

"What? No way. He's totally into you. He'll come around." Bibii assured her.

As they all began to agree and add their opinions about him, Seth approached the table and waved. He pulled a chair from the table behind them and squeezed it in beside Lace. Brie looked up at him with a frown, when his chair bumped into hers. He waved his hand for her to move over. When he finally sat down and started eating, they all stared at him awkwardly and waited for him to talk. He looked around and rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, did I need a special invitation to sit at the cool table?" He said sarcastically.

"Um, yeah, it's called 'hello, may I sit here, please?'" Brie snapped.

"Sorry, my bad. What's up?" Seth smiled at Lace, ignoring everyone else. She stuttered back at him.

"H-hi."

"So that _everyone_ here is satisfied, may I please sit by you and continue eating my lunch?" Seth asked, frowning in Brie and Keiko's direction.

Brie scoffed, but the boys chuckled. Even the uber-polite Jake found Seth amusing.

"Yes. Yeah. Sure. Okay. That's fine." Lace gasped breathlessly.

The group returned to their own conversations wearily, but things felt odd. They hadn't had anyone new sit with them since accepting Jake into the circle. Lace cleared her throat and tapped Seth on the arm.

"I thought you were pissed at me." Lace whispered, refusing to look Seth in the eye.

"Nah. I mean, yeah you were a bitch this morning, but I was a dick, too…so, we're even, I guess."

Lace couldn't help but smile at his brash sense of humor. She finally met his gaze and blushed when his grey eyes stared straight back into hers.

"So, how's your day goin? Still all stressed out and shit?" He asked.

"Yeah…but I guess it's better now." Lace answered.

"Why's that?" Seth smirked.

"I don't know…"

Lace looked down at her hands in her lap, now too flustered to keep eating.

"I think I do."

"Oh, really?" Lace asked.

"Yeah. Because I'm here. Duh."

Lace couldn't help but laugh. Seth's lack of general embarrassment was quite overwhelming, yet strangely attractive.

"Yeah…that's totally why…" Lace said quietly, acting as though she was kidding but meaning it completely sincerely.

"You don't have to look away from me." Seth said in a suddenly softer tone, "What's with that, huh? You got authority problems or something?"

"What do you mean?" Lace asked, unknowingly staring at her plate of food.

"People with authority problems have trouble looking people they don't know very well in the eye." He said, popping a bag of chips open loudly.

"I don't know…I guess…sorta…" Lace shrugged, blushing.

"I wish you would just look at me. Your eyes are beautiful. I love it when you look at me."

Lace choked, still too embarrassed to look up.

"Hey, let's go out tonight. Whatever you wanna do. You deserve a break from serious, boring crap. We'll have fun. My treat. You know you wanna…" Seth offered, nudging Lace in her side.

"Wh-why? I mean…what?"

"Maybe if you're lucky you can get a little more of what you liked so much this weekend. Who knows?" Seth shrugged and laughed to himself smugly.

The bell to dismiss everyone back to class rang. The cafeteria suddenly burst to life as everyone started throwing away their trash and heading out. Seth stood up to leave before Lace and leaned down to her ear.

"I can't seem to get you off my mind. I can't wait for tonight. I'll pick you up from your fancy, mansion-house at seven." Seth whispered, before kissing her on the cheek and leaving. Lace practically passed out on the table.

"What the hell?" Brie asked furiously, "He is such a douche! Are you seriously going on a date with him?"

"Now, Brie, that's not very nice." Chai added, shaking a finger at her, "He was funny and seemed interested in her. I haven't seen Lace laugh like that in ages!"

Keiko scoffed at Chai, "So are you or are you not going out with him, Lace?"

"I think…I am." Lace answered, peering up from the table. "I am going on a date with Seth."


	9. Chapter 9

Lace and Brie walked in the front door of the Son house with Keiko after school. A family meeting was underway to the right of the grand foyer. Inside the sitting room, Lace's uncle Tarble was at the center talking about destruction and chaos, which wasn't unheard of for him. It had been a while since Lace heard one of his rants.

"Uncle Tarble…what are you doing here?" Lace asked, excited to see him nonetheless.

"I just got in…your dad called me last night. I know what happened." He answered, taking a break from his relentless pacing.

Bra stood up to greet the girls, but Vegeta rushed forward instead.

"Sit down, Bra." Vegeta scolded, swishing at her with his hand.

Bra sat back on the couch and pouted, just as she did when she was a teenager. He rolled his eyes and turned to Lace. With a serious, worried expression, he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"You need to tell me exactly what you told your father. I need to know what happened that night. I need to know who you saw getting on that ship and I need to know _right_ this instant."

Vegeta's tone was stern and frightening. Keiko and Brie backed into the sitting room, taking a seat with Bra on the large, leather sofa. Lace straightened her back, standing taller than Vegeta and cleared her throat.

"I…I saw a woman…She was muscular and had a tail. She was a saiyan." Lace began.

"What color was her armor?" Tarble asked curiously.

"Green and black…She had a black cape, too."

Lace inhaled sharply as she remembered the sound her leg made when it snapped under the evil woman's boot.

"You don't think it was a descendant of Seripa?" Tarble asked, scratching his head.

"No. Seripa never had children. Father spoke of how she wasted her time to bear children when a wife was being selected for the other men of the royal guard."

"_Selected?_ Did _you_ have a saiyan wife selected, Vegeta?" Bulma piped up, coming out of the kitchen holding a tray of bread and cheese.

"Tch. No. I was not interested in such things at that age. Before my father was killed, he tried to arrange such a marriage, but I declined." Vegeta crossed his arms and blushed slightly.

Lace cleared her throat to continue.

"There was a man there, too. He was really big…like taller than dad…and his hair was huge, too. He looked kinda like my friend Rez at school. Jet black hair…spikey…the woman called him Raditz."

Vegeta dropped his arms and stared at Lace in disbelief. Tarble audibly gasped. Bulma dropped her tray.

"R-Raditz? As in…Gohan stealing, crazy brother from space Raditz?" Bulma stammered.

"Someone needs to call Kakarott and get him here right away…there wasn't a bald man with him, was there?" Vegeta asked nervously.

Tarble interrupted, "It's simply not possible! He was killed years ago at Kakarott's own hands. A descendant maybe?"

Vegeta scoffed, "It doesn't matter! Call him at once! Lace, was there a bald man with him?"

"Um…no? I don't think so…but there's one more thing." Lace said softly.

"What else could there possibly have been?" Vegeta demanded impatiently.

"The ship that they boarded…it was the same one that I drew for…" She stopped. His name was trying to emerge from her mouth, but it was as though she was paralyzed.

The room stood still in silence. Vegeta crossed his arms and scoffed again.

"Um…It was like…I saw it coming before…" Lace finally whispered.

Bulma wrapped her arms around Gin, who had helped her pick up the food she dropped. He took a quick hit on his inhaler and held his chest. Vegeta took notice and seemed extremely bothered by his family feeling so threatened.

"If they want a fight, we'll give it to them. I only wonder when they'll return. I'll crush him…I'll kill him for what he did to Lace." Vegeta said coldly.

"Um, what about for what he did to Cody?" Trunks' voice echoed from the back of the house. He entered the room and frowned at his father.

Marron followed him in, digging through her purse and turning around to someone else.

Lace's body went numb.

"Take this…you need to keep up with your pain meds." Marron said.

No, Lace thought. _Not_ here. _Not_ now.

"Thanks, mom." Cody answered, wincing slightly.

Lace breathed in. Time stopped. She stared at him and felt her heart stop beating.

He was wearing his favorite black Slipknot shirt and loose fitting jeans with a converse on one foot, cast on another. Lace peered down at her own foot and noticed they'd broken opposite legs.

"H-hey…" Lace felt escape from her lips.

Cody nodded at her casually and continued into the living room. He took a seat near Keiko and asked what was going on. He took notice of the small man pacing around on the phone and asked who he was.

_Right_, she thought, if he didn't remember Lace, there's no way he'd remember their uncle Tarble.

It was bad enough that her family ambushed her about her nightmare like an intervention, but to bring Cody over for it just tipped the scale. She wasn't ready to talk about the accident in his presence. She wasn't ready to be in the same room with him at all.

"Lace…do you remember anything else about that night? Anything at all? I hate to be so intrusive, but we do not have much time to prepare. Their attack seems...calculated and overly hostile. They killed hundreds needlessly when they brought down that hotel. We must be ready for an attack. No detail is too small, Lace." Tarble said eloquently.

"I…I-I don't know…what else I can say…I've told you guys everything." Lace whispered, afraid to look up from the floor.

"I still don't understand how they lured you both there so quickly. That building went down fast. You weren't drawn there by their ki, that's for sure. It was hidden until the very end when we could sense it. The explosion must have been enough excitement for the idiots to forget about hiding their ki…What's the first thing you sensed from them? Maybe your powers allow you to feel ki before us?" Goten asked at a loss.

Lace peered up from her reflection in the marble floor and looked at Cody. His face was blank. His mind was completely void of any memory from that night. He was at peace and without the internal struggle that Lace was feeling. His once vibrant, orange eyes had faded to a pale yellow. She'd noticed her own eyes losing their vibrant pink rings lately. Her eyes slowly traveled to his mouth. His lips pursed into a neutral frown, as though he was uncomfortable sitting in the room. She could only imagine. Everyone was talking about his accident, but he had no recollection of it.

"Lace, you must remember something that can help...Why can't you just tell us?" Cody said, breaking the silence in frustration.

She felt a flood of tears washing forward. The Cody that she once loved was gone. That Cody would _never_ force her to do or say anything.

"I-I…I can't…do this!" Lace cried.

She heard the protest from her father and the others as she ran up the staircase, but she didn't care. She kept running down the hallway until she reached her bedroom door. She flung it open, almost breaking it off the hinges, and slammed it shut. She turned around, sobbing uncontrollably, and fell against the door. In a flash of memories, she felt his touch. She felt his kiss on her lips and the warmth of his genuine, loving smile. The old Cody was gone forever. She had to forget him. Her legs felt like jelly as she collapsed, sliding down the door and crying hysterically.

Tears streamed angrily down her tan face. She wished with every ounce of her soul that on that day she'd been the one to lose her memory. She wished that she died at the hands of the saiyans instead of living with her love completely forgotten. Why did life have to be so horrible? She felt as though she was cursed.

Suddenly, her phone rang. Without looking at the screen, she answered hastily, grateful for a distraction.

"H-Hello?" She sniffled.

"Hey you."

"W-who is this?"

"It's me. Seth? You know…your date tonight?"

"Oh…oh…sorry. I d-didn't have your n-number saved…" Lace sniffled again before taking a deep breath.

"Hey…are you okay? Are you crying?" He asked with concern.

"N-no, I'm fine. I'm fine…family stuff."

"Well…I was calling to see if you wanted to go out a little earlier. I've got a great idea!"

Seth's excitement made Lace smile for the briefest moment.

"You can come get me now! I gotta get out of this house." Lace answered.

"Y-yeah…I'll be right there. I'm leaving now." Seth assured her.

"I'll be out front."

She hung up the phone and watched the number disappear. Something about that boy was making her re-think everything. Why was she moping around her room when someone who actually liked her was trying to make her feel better? This was just an excuse. Lace had become weak. She let herself go and let her strong personality fade all for Cody. He was controlling her life and he didn't even care about her anymore. She had to make a change. She had to move on.

She tore off her school uniform and pulled on her ripped, black skinny jeans. She dug around in her closet and found her oversized batman sweater. She smiled. Keiko had gotten it for her before they moved for her seventeenth birthday.

She walked over to her vanity and began applying her black eye liner liberally. She grabbed a few bracelets from the table and slid a silver ring onto her index finger. After putting in her yellow earrings and a matching batman necklace, she exhaled and smiled to herself.

She opened her bedroom window and hopped onto the ledge. She slid on her favorite black boot onto her unbroken foot before lifting her long legs through the window and easily sliding down the roof. She floated gently onto the ground and stood for a moment to fix her hair and straighten out her clothes.

"Woah!" Seth exclaimed.

Lace turned bright red and panicked. He'd seen her literally jump from the roof with a cast on one leg. She had to think fast.

"Ehem…ow…that was...um…unplanned."

She pretended she'd hurt her unbraced-leg and limped over to him.

"Are you okay? That was one hell of a fall!" Seth panicked, looking her over.

"Nah, it wasn't a fall! It was quite the graceful landing." Lace shrugged.

Instead of fighting her on it, his concern melting into a devious smile.

"Well, who could blame you for being so eager to see me. You look stunning by the way. Love that rocker chick look you've got going on outside of school." Seth smirked, looking her up and down slowly.

"Thanks." Lace blushed furiously, "Can we just get outta here?"

"Are you okay, though? Really? You sounded so upset earlier…" Seth asked again.

"I'm fine, Seth." Lace grumbled.

He smiled.

"What?" Lace asked, annoyed.

"Good thing I'm here to cheer you up. I wanna see more of that beautiful smile tonight, got it? No grumpy Lace!"

Seth scooped her into a tight hug. Lace felt her face catch fire. His intoxicating scent was too good to pull away from. He was so warm and comforting. She let her face rest on his shoulder for a moment. After what felt like an eternity, Seth broke away and smiled.

"Hop into my joyride. I'm sure you'll love this place."

Seth pointed to a little black car sitting on the side of the road. It was an average car, unlike the others she frequently saw at her school. She found it a bit strange, but figured it was a clunker from his parents.

"Is this the other capsule you had that night? I noticed you had two…" Lace asked, walking towards the car.

"Yeah. I prefer the bike, but I thought it'd be nice to talk. Can't really hear anything on the bike, right?" Seth chuckled, rushing over to open the door for her.

"T-thanks…" Lace said softly.

"Get used to it." He answered, winking.

The drive into the city was filled with music. He played her his favorite rock songs, assuming they might be what she liked. She took his phone at one point and changed the rock to dubstep. He gasped, never having heard such music before. To her surprise, he actually enjoyed it.

Finally, they pulled up to their destination. Lace gasped excitedly and clapped her hands together.

"An aquarium? I didn't even know that this was here! It's huge!"

"It's great, right? It's supposedly kinda new. I just moved here, so I don't know." Seth answered, pulling in to the parking deck across the street.

"Where did you move from? I never asked you that before." Lace smiled.

"Um…I'm from…a place I don't like to talk about." He hesitated.

"Hated it, huh?" Lace laughed.

"Well…yeah…you could say that. Let's go!"

He avoided the question and parked. He hopped out of the car and rushed around to the other side to open her door again. He took her hand and helped her out gently. Lace blushed. She wasn't used to so much chivalry.

"Stop it with the blushing. You're making me blush, too." Seth joked, before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to him as they walked.

He started towards the entrance and the two wobbled forward. She felt unsteady on her braced foot and placed a hand on his abs for support. Wow, she thought. He must have noticed her expression. As soon as she removed her hand and held onto his arm for support, he flexed slightly, revealing serious muscle. She felt her stomach do an excited backflip. Keiko was right, he was _extremely_ hot.

Inside, Seth released Lace to pay for the tickets. Lace wandered away from him and couldn't believe her eyes. She'd never been to an aquarium before. The sights were spectacular. When Seth returned with tickets and they were permitted to enter, Lace rushed forward like an overexcited child. She began spinning around unintentionally to look at all the difference entrances for different exhibits. She set her sights on the Georgia Explorer exhibit and limped quickly over to the entrance. Seth laughed at her failed attempt to run away and followed her to the enormous entrance built to look like a log cabin. Inside, Lace marveled at the main event. Sea Turtles of massive proportions floated about and greeted her at the glass. She giggled with excitement and turned around to Seth.

"Look at the turtles! I love turtles!" She squealed, pointing and pulling out her phone to take a picture.

"You are so freaking adorable." He laughed, smiling at her.

Lace snapped a quick picture. She put her hand on the glass and watched the huge turtle swim away gracefully. It was such a peaceful scene, she thought to herself.

Slowly they moved about the exhibits, spending extra time looking at the Beluga whales and hammer head sharks. When they reached the last exhibit, closing time was nearing. Most of the families with small children had already left, so only older couples and other random people were walking about.

Though Lace was tall and could see over most crowds anyway, she loved being able to press against the glass and watch the fish swim about up close. She was having more fun watching the numerous sea creatures in their enclosures then she'd had in many, many months. Yet she realized she wasn't talking very much to Seth. He didn't seem to mind, but she made a mental note to at least try to be a little more social.

Finally, they entered the final exhibit room that housed the aquarium's prized whale sharks. Lace and Seth both gasped at the sight. The room was completely enclosed in the aquarium itself! They stepped onto a moving conveyer belt and stared upwards as it took them through the tunnel of water. The massive animals were swimming just overhead. Lace pointed and took another picture, squealing in delight. When she sent it off to Keiko, she turned around to Seth. He was standing over her and staring down at her instead of the fish.

"Why aren't you looking at the whale sharks? Aren't they cool? And look! Rays!" Lace pointed again, but before she could take a picture, Seth took her arm and pulled her against him.

"I'm just glad you're having a good time, grumpy. I have never seen you smile so much." He said in a soft voice.

"I-I smile. I mean, I've never been to an aquarium before. This is amazing!" Lace stuttered breathlessly.

"I know you've been under a lot of stress with everything going on in your life. I thought that taking you to one of the most relaxing sights in the city might take your mind off of it. I don't want to see you sad anymore. And no, we don't ever have to talk about anything going on with you unless you want to. My only intention is to see you happy."

Lace inhaled. He continued before she could speak.

"Of course, if you ever do wanna talk about stuff…I'm always here to listen. I know what people say about me. I know I come off as a total dick. I don't mean to…at least not to you."

Lace's heart began to flutter. She had been terribly stressed lately, but he didn't know the half of it. But in some strange way, he somehow did. He knew exactly where to take her so that she would completely forget about Cody, life and everything bad in general. He didn't even force her to talk about it. She recalled how Cody never let her go to sleep at night without spilling the tiny details of her entire day before the move. She hated that. Suddenly, she was able to just be herself with this mysterious boy. She'd never felt so understood in all of her life. He didn't need to know about her baggage to care about her. He didn't need to know what she was feeling or thinking, only what she was showing him. Showing him how she felt was so much easier than telling him. Her feelings were too complicated to put into words.

"Thank you, Seth…for tonight. This has been incredible…you are…really incredible." Lace muttered softly, looking away from him, "I'm just sorry I was such a bitch when we first met! Bad day and all…"

She trailed off, noticing his eyes staring down at her. He gently placed his finger tips on her chin. Confidently he pulled her face up to him and leaned forward slightly. The blue light from the water reflections danced across his strong face. Lace felt herself getting lost in every little detail of him. She started to speak again, stifling her nervousness, but he pushed her off of the conveyer belt and up against the aquarium wall aggressively.

She gasped, but before she could move, his lips met hers with ferocity. Just as last time, his kiss was intense and desperate, as though he was communicating through the kiss itself. She felt electric shockwaves travel through her body as her toes went numb and her body quivered. She felt him grasp her waist and press into her.

_Woah_, she thought. He sure was excited.

"Seth…" Lace gasped.

"Hmm?" He mumbled in a low, surly voice in between kisses.

"What if…people see…we're out in the open…" She panted, laughing slightly.

"Let them watch." He smirked.

Lace couldn't answer. Her feet felt like cinder blocks again. She couldn't escape his rousing charm. She couldn't refuse his heady advances. She was a complete slave to whatever he wanted. He had her wrapped around his little finger.

"Hey! Move along, kids!" A security guard called from the end of the tunnel.

Seth and Lace turned and stared like two deer in headlights. Both laughed and awkwardly stepped onto the conveyer belt again. He took her waist and held onto her tightly, as though he would never let her go. She felt her body responding to his touch in ways she'd never imagined. It was probably a good thing that they were caught, she thought.

At the end of the exhibit, a gift shop was built into the aquarium exit. Lace was still a little light headed from the kissing attack moments earlier, but Seth dragged her in and started looking around at the trinkets. Lace quickly set her eyes on a stuffed whale shark about the length of her forearm. She picked it up and felt the pang of excitement shoot through her stomach. Whale sharks would forever remind her of Seth slamming her against a glass and almost having his way with her. She shivered and placed it back into the pile, blushing severely.

"Do you want that?" Seth asked with a small magnet in his hand.

"Oh, no, that's okay…it's like…twenty bucks…it's fine." Lace shook her head in embarrassment.

"C'mon. I want you to have something to remember our first date." Seth said confidently.

He picked up the shark and bonked her on the head lightly before heading to the checkout counter with it. Lace felt all warm and happy inside. She did love stuffed animals.

After buying her the shark, the two headed out to his car. It was past ten, so Lace was sure that she'd be in trouble when she returned home. Her phone had died from taking a ton of pictures, but she didn't care. She could take care of herself. Seth noticed her react to her dead phone unfavorably and laughed.

"Needing to tell someone how awesome I am at dates?" Seth asked.

"Well…I…uh…my parents are gonna be so mad…I didn't exactly tell them where I was going, thus the hopping out of the window thing…" Lace laughed awkwardly.

"Well if you're already gonna be in trouble…wanna go somewhere else, too?"

His proposal was tempting. Something inside of Lace replayed her mother's warning about everything teenagers weren't supposed to do. However, even in the midst of all of the warnings flashing in her head, her heart screamed yes. She needed to feel happy again. She wanted to feel like herself again.

"Sure! Where do you wanna go?" Lace asked.

"We can just drive around. I know this cool spot where you can see the whole city. We could check that out?" Seth asked.

They drove out past the city and into a small community of old houses singing to his radio at the top of their lungs. Lace loved it. It still felt like bonding without the actual talking about feelings.

After a while, they climbed a small incline and arrived at an overpass of sorts surrounded by dark woods. Seth put the car in park and looked down at the steering wheel with a sigh.

"Are you okay?" Lace laughed, thinking he was just tired out from singing to the radio with her.

Seth smiled and looked over at her sincerely.

"Lace…I've never been better. I didn't think I could feel like this. You are…truly unexpected. Hell, I'm having a great time just driving around with you. We don't even need to have a destination…"

"How so?" Lace asked, wanting to shove her foot in her mouth. She was never good at taking complements, but she wanted to listen to him talk more.

"I don't know. When I first moved here, I heard about the great Capsule Corporation. I knew that the daughters of the mega Brief family went to Ramison. Honestly, you're kind of famous, ya know? But then that first day when I couldn't find a damn thing on campus, you happened to be the one outside. I didn't recognize you at first, but when I figured out that it was you, I thought…maybe it was fate?"

Seth laughed at his own ridiculous notion and shook his head.

"I believe in fate." Lace said quietly, "I thought I knew what mine would be…but I was so wrong. I'm kinda seeing that now…"

Cody's face flashed into her memory. She sighed and pushed the negativity out of her head. A completely gorgeous guy with an exhilarating personality was sitting just in front of her. What did she have to gain by continuing her dreadful moping over her own cousin?

"Lace, I have a confession." Seth said quietly.

She looked up at him curiously in silence.

"I…really like you. Obviously. But here's the deal…I'm not very good at sharing."

Seth ran his hand through his thick, reddish-brown hair and sighed.

"Sharing?" Lace asked cluelessly.

"I know this is kinda new or whatever, but…I don't wanna have to compete with anyone for you. I want you to be mine and only mine if we're gonna do this thing."

Lace stared at him and felt her heart do a little flip. His? Was he asking her to be his girlfriend?

"I'm not sure…I'm really girlfriend material." Lace admitted shyly.

"I think you're perfect girlfriend material." Seth corrected quickly.

"I'm not perfect. I'm _anything_ but perfect." Lace responded sadly, thinking of her mistakes.

Seth undid his seatbelt and scooted sideways in his seat. He leaned forward and rose his hand up to her cheek. He stroked her skin softly and stared into her eyes. His sincerity was intense and blinding.

"You are perfect to me."

They began to move closer. She felt the heat growing between them. The air thickened. His lips beckoned for another visit as they parted slightly. She could feel his heady breathing on her face. The silence began to ring in her ears. She closed her eyes and leaned forward.

A fire ignited between them.

Seth cradled the back of her head in his hand as he kissed her with an open mouth. She felt his tongue begin to explore her lips. She lost herself, allowing him to take over her completely. She couldn't contain herself. She unhooked her own seat belt and crawled on top of him in the driver's seat.

The wheel dug into her back and pushed her flat against him. Damn long legs, she thought. Being tall had its downfalls.

She felt his strong hands grip her waist and yank her towards his body. His fingertips dug into her skin and began to slide up the back of her shirt. His nails began to scratch at her as his mouth traveled down her neck.

She felt her eyes rolling back in her head as his hands made their way further up her back. Soon, he lifted her shirt off and threw it into the passenger's seat aggressively before wrapping his arms around her and almost growling into her neck as he continued kissing her collar bone.

"Holy…shit..." Lace moaned.

Seth didn't stop. He continued sucking on her neck and scratching into her back. She felt his teeth begin to graze her skin softly. She was losing her self-control. If he thought he could be aggressive and slightly animalistic, he'd obviously never been with a saiyan girl, Lace smirked to herself.

She reached for the reclining lever on his seat and pushed him back with force. He flew backwards and laughed quietly while she crawled on top of him and rubbed her body on his now exposed abs. She ran her hands up his abs and to his chest, revealing his skin before she pulled his shirt off of his head. She felt herself growing eager for more, but she wasn't sure what to do. She'd never been in such a situation before. They were out in public, after all.

She stared down at his naked chest and breathed heavily. He was panting and beginning to sweat. He swished his long bangs to one side and moved his hands from her waist down to her thighs. She watched his chest rise and fall slowly, glistening in the moonlight. The windows of the car were beginning to fog from their intense heat.

"Are you okay?" He asked breathlessly.

"Are you?" She answered back, equally out of breath.

He reached forward and began unbuttoning her pants.

"Seth…" Lace moaned as he returned to kissing his neck.

He paused and removed his hands from her, holding them up like he was at gun point. He dropped back flat against the reclined seat.

"Just tell me if you want me to stop. You're in the driver's seat, babe." He assured her.

"I…don't…want you to stop…" She breathed.

He smiled. He leaned back up, holding onto her waist for support and continued kissing her neck. He stopped to suck on her collar bone again. Suddenly he reached up the front of her shirt and caressed her left breast. She gasped and shivered at his touch.

"You like that?" He asked seductively.

Lace couldn't answer. She continued gasping for air. His tongue moved down her chest.

"Mmm…"

He moved her silky black bra out of the way. His lips met her breast and sucked hard.

"_Ohh…_"

He grabbed her behind and thrust upwards. Lace's head smacked the ceiling, but she didn't feel pain.

"Yeah?" Seth asked, squeezing her behind again.

"_Yeah_…" Lace answered.

He moved to unhook her bra, but she felt an energy appear in the darkness of her mind. She opened her eyes and looked out the foggy window.

"Oh, my God, Seth! Stop!" Lace exclaimed, hopping off of him.

She grabbed her shirt and slid it over her head quickly. Seth shot up and started the car. A cop was pulling up to their parking spot.

"Shit!" Seth yelled, quickly grabbing his own shirt.

The cop drove by without stopping.

"W-Well…damn…" Lace gasped.

Seth looked at her and began to laugh. She buttoned her pants and locked her seatbelt in place.

"We should get back…" She said completely out of breath.

"Perhaps that's best..." He answered, holding still and catching his own breath.

He started his car and hooked his seatbelt in place. He placed his hands on the wheel, but continued panting and stared straight ahead.

"You okay?" She asked with a giggle, feeling dangerous.

"You…drive me fuckin' crazy." He answered.

He turned his head slowly towards her. His smoldering eyes locked onto hers. She felt her heart skip several beats.

"Sorry about that, then."

"Nah. It's definitely a good thing. I'll take you home now...before we get into some real trouble."

They pulled away and began to head for Lace's house in silence. Lace felt her head spinning. He reached for her hand. She stared at it for a moment.

"Hold my hand?" He asked.

"Oh! Um…yeah." Lace answered nervously, feeling stupid.

His hand was warm and slightly sweaty. She felt a warm spark fly when his fingers interlaced with hers.

"I've never done all that before." Lace said nervously.

"Trust me, I don't disappoint." He bragged.

"So you _have_ before?" She asked, feeling a little jealous.

"I know a thing or two, but don't you worry about all that." He answered, smiling widely.

When they arrived back at Lace's house and slowly came to a quiet stop, Seth turned off the engine. He sat there staring at his steering wheel, deep in thought, searching for the words he wanted to say.

"You okay?" Lace asked sleepily, "You got pretty quiet…"

"Tonight was amazing…You're so fuckin' amazing. I'm just afraid…I won't be able to stop next time." He admitted honestly, shrugging and exhaling slowly.

"Yeah…Me, too." She sighed.

Seth turned towards her with a complex look on his face.

"I gotta ask you…will you be mine?" He asked, "No one else's?"

Lace smirked and blushed, but didn't answer.

"I promise I'll protect you. I'll take care of you and…I'll come and save you from your crazy family whenever you need me to. Just call me and I'm here. You got that?"

"Yeah."

"No more grumpy Lace then? I can…call you my girlfriend?" Seth asked.

"Y-yeah. I'm…all yours." Lace smiled, shrugging playfully.

Seth's strong and serious face lit up into a gigantic smile. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, lingering in place for a moment. He nuzzled her and caressed her cheek again with his hand.

"Let's go out again this weekend. I promise we'll go somewhere fun. I'll think of something." Seth said happily.

"Okay. I'd really love that." Lace agreed sweetly.

She kissed him quickly on the cheek before opening his car door, smiling like an idiot. She closed his door quietly and began to sneak back up to her house. He drove off, but she remained outside to make sure that he was gone before she hopped onto the roof again. She took a few quick glances and sprinted into her window.

Keiko was sleeping in her bed. They must've kept having their little meeting after Lace left. She kicked off her one boot and crawled onto the bed beside Keiko.

"Hey…" Lace whispered, poking her cousin in the side.

"Oh, Hey…I decided to stay here. I had a fight with my dad again. Sorry…lemme scoot over." Keiko whispered, half asleep.

Keiko scooted from the middle of the bed and turned to face Lace. Lace was still glowing and smiling like an idiot. Keiko noticed and laughed softly.

"What happened tonight?" Keiko asked.

"Well…I went out with Seth."

Keiko's eyes sprung open completely. Her face grew serious and she sat up on her elbows.

"What…the shit…" Keiko began.

"What?" Lace asked, giggling.

"Lace…" Keiko whispered seriously

"What, Keiko?"

Lace felt anxious. Keiko lowered her gaze and seemed like she was about to make a philosophical statement. She opened her mouth and Lace braced herself.

"Did you bang him?"

Lace burst out laughing and hid her face in her pillow.

"No! Oh, my God!" Lace laughed.

"Oh, my God, you ho! You totally banged the mysterious hot guy!" Keiko declared, equally shocked and excited.

"I didn't! We just…made out in his car and stuff…He's so hot…"

"And stuff?" Keiko said, eyebrows raised.

"You know…just second base." She assured her.

"Well, damn. Now we're both getting action."

The girls settled back down and began to drift off to sleep.

As she began to fall asleep, she realized that even aside from the physical attraction she felt for Seth, his words were just as mesmerizing. She pictured his hardened face spouting the sweetest lines she'd ever heard and smiled. Her stomach felt warm and her fingers tingled.

There was no denying it. She had fallen for Seth.


	10. Chapter 10

What is a girl supposed to do when her life is finally perfect and then suddenly it falls apart completely? Is she supposed to let the past go and forget everything that used to make her…_her?_ Is she supposed to move on with her life and make a new path?

It was scary, terrifying even, to think that Lace was about to leave everything behind, but so was the idea of growing up as one half of a two-person species alone. She had to make a decision between the destiny she thought she was meant for versus the path the light now shined upon. Life wasn't meant to be suffered through, after all. Life was meant to build you up and exhilarate you. Lace wanted to feel that exhilaration again. She wanted to feel excited to wake up in the morning. She knew what could make that happen for her.

The morning after her first date with Seth, Lace woke to find Keiko already gone. She stretched out her long legs and yawned loudly. Time for another day of school, she thought to herself.

Time to see _him_ again.

For some odd reason, she was able to hop out of bed and get ready in a rather good mood. She felt…different. Something had changed inside of her.

She threw on her uniform and laced up her black boot quickly, though not before glaring at her annoying leg cast. She felt around under her bed and found her hairbrush. She rushed to the mirror and stared at herself for a moment. Her hair was disheveled and messy. She started undoing the loose braid and watched her long, royal blue waves cover her shoulders like water.

She ran the brush through her hair slowly, watching the waves bounce back into place neatly. She peered down at her hair bow, the same one she always wore at the end of her braid. Was it time to move on to different things? She lowered the brush onto the dresser and looked up at her reflection again. In a split second decision, she decided to leave her hair down for the first time in years. It was freeing, but again, quite scary. People would comment. People would notice.

Would _he_ notice?

Seth's perfectly sculpted face danced into her thoughts. She backed away from the mirror and looked at her skirt. She straightened out its pleats, but grimaced at its lack of appeal. She decided to try something she'd always been against. Even having lived in Japan, where plaid skirts were rampant amongst school girls, she hated the sight of them. Still, something compelled her to try this over-done trend anyway.

She pulled up her shirt and took the top of the skirt in her hands. She rolled it down on top of itself once and stopped to look at the results. She still wasn't pleased. She rolled the skirt again. And again. Finally, it looked like she wanted. Her toned, long legs looked quite good in a short skirt. She'd never worn one so short in her life. Jeans were much more her style, but surely Seth would appreciate the new look.

_Why did she care what he thought so much all of a sudden?__  
_  
Before she could leave the safety of her quiet bedroom, she had to cover up the evidence from her date night. She opened the top drawer of her dresser and found a small bottle of foundation that Brie convinced her to buy a long time ago. She looked at the directions and squinted. She'd never attempted to use it before.

She rushed down the hallway to her sister's room and burst in the door. Brie was rolling her own skirt and humming a tune from one of her many video games. She turned quickly and smiled at Lace.

"Hey, how're you feeling? Last night was intense."

Lace rolled her eyes, but Brie grinned and giggled quietly.

"I knew you would sneak out."

Lace scoffed and blushed, "Look I need your help. I have no idea how to use this stuff and...I need it." Lace admitted, staring at the ceiling in shame.

"Oh, look at you. You want me to do your makeup? You're all grown up." Brie fake-sniffled.

"Just help me out, would you?" Lace growled.

Brie hopped over to her sister and grabbed her by the arm. She flung her into her pink and black bedroom and pulled her giant makeup caddy off of her own vanity. She set it beside them on the bed. Lace stared down at the millions of shades of eye shadows and felt completely overwhelmed.

"Well…sit. I can't reach you way up there!" Brie demanded.

Lace laughed. Brie had yet to hit five feet tall, where Lace was a towering 5'9". She sat down on Brie's little vanity stool and let Brie go to work. She worried her sister would mention the few hickies she had on her neck, but she covered them up without a single comment. She was suddenly very grateful for her little sister. She knew more about being a girl than Lace did for some reason.

"Okay, that'll do it! Oh…please tell me you aren't doing this for that douche bag…shit, I forgot all about him!" Brie whined.

"Well…thanks. See ya at school." Lace answered flatly, leaving Brie hanging with her makeup brush still in hand.

As Lace walked along the sidewalk towards Ramison, she felt her head floating around in the clouds. Everything seemed different. The grass was greener, the leaves were more vibrant, the sky was bluer and even the air smelled fresher. She trotted along feeling like the entire world was turning over a new leaf. She had never felt so confident.

"What's your rush?" Brie asked breathlessly, running along to catch up with her.

"I don't know…" Lace smiled, looking away.

"Oh. So did you get laid last night or was it just PG-13?" Brie asked normally.

"What? No! What the hell is with you and Keiko and getting laid?" Lace screeched.

"I was only kidding…damn. Relax. This is what love feels like, girl. Embrace it. Be a goddess and demand excellence from that boy! I know I sure do from mine." Brie winked, skipping ahead of her.

_Love?_

There was no way. She didn't _love_ Seth. It was a crush right now, nothing more.

At school, Lace approached their normal crowd sitting at the brick wall near the water fountain in their coats and scarfs. They were huddled up together for warmth and complaining. Bibii noticed their short skirts and shook her head as though they were crazy. If they only knew hold cold it got in Japan around this time of year, they'd probably be just fine in this mildly-chilly weather.

Rez had Chai wrapped up in his arms, who was sipping hot cocoa from a thermos. He greeted Lace with a pat on the back, knocking her bookbag off. She'd stopped complaining about his overly physical greetings and simply let it slide.

"I'm so pissed. How could they cancel cooking club today? I was so excited…" Rez pouted.

"It's okay, hun. We can cook at my house later if you want. You can help me make cookies?" Chai offered politely.

"Yay! I love you so much!"

Rez squeezed Chai so tightly that Lace feared her head might pop off. They all laughed, but secretly, Lace had to know how Rez knew so easily that he loved Chai. She decided to make it her mission to find out from him. Maybe he could offer some insight that her younger, less experienced sister couldn't. Besides, the first time he declared his love for her was in front of all of their friends. If he was that bold in public, surely he'd be more open to sharing one-on-one.

When the homeroom bell rang, Keiko, Brie and Chai headed off for the freshmen hallway while Lace and Rez went the opposite direction towards the junior hallway. Lace laughed at his overly jolly expression and how he greeted everyone he knew with either an enthusiastic hello or friendly fist bump. She just couldn't get over how much everyone liked him. Even standing beside him, she felt invisible. No one ever said hello to her, but she was fine with that. In general, Lace strongly disliked other people anyway.

"Hey Rez…" Lace began.

"Yo!" Rez answered, high fiving another guy on the football team that was passing by.

"I was wondering…how did you know that you were…like…_in love_ with Chai?"

Rez stopped walking and looked down at his blue-haired friend with curious eyes. His expression widened into a huge smile.

"Obviously when I realized what a damn catch she was. Have you _tasted_ her cooking?"

Lace smacked her forehead. Rez laughed and shook his head.

"Okay, seriously…it's that every time I see her, I can't help but smile. She's like this radiating ball of light and when I'm near her that warmth makes me feel all…fuzzy inside. She has this totally different effect on me that I have never felt before in my life. Cool, huh?"

Lace stood silently, considering the words that Rez spoke so confidently. He was such a silly guy, but his answer was sincere. She wanted to know more, ask more questions, but Rez saw Bibii up ahead and ran towards her absentmindedly. She was glued to her phone and texting frantically, laughing as she typed and not watching where she was going.

"Bibii! Look at you all excited and happy! Who have you been texting all morning?" Rez asked happily.

Bibii smacked right into him. His humongous chest sent her flying, but he caught her shoulders and set her upright again. Bibii slapped him for running into her and checked her phone over to make sure it was still intact.

"How was that date you were going on, Bibii?" Lace asked curiously.

"Oh, God! It was so perfect! I'm totally hooked on this guy. He's so amazing!" Bibii squealed.

"Like, oh my _God_, girls! Tell me _more!_" Rez imitated, promptly receiving two smacks on the arm.

The girls shooed him away and went into their homeroom to talk. Bibii started to tell Lace details as they stepped over the doorframe, but Lace felt a strong tug on her arm and flew back out of the doorway. She turned around ready to punch someone for grabbing her.

"What the f-…" Lace began, chopping off her insult quickly.

"Hey to you too, babe." Seth said playfully.

"S-sorry…you scared m-…"

He interrupted her and planted a kiss on her cheek in front of everyone in the hallway. Several people literally stopped in their tracks. She felt her face heat up and stared down at the floor.

"People are looking at us…" Lace whispered shyly.

"What did I tell you last night? I don't care about other people and their opinions. All I care about is you and making you feel happy. Where's that smile?" Seth teased, placing his hands on her waist.

"Stop…" Lace giggled, pushing him away, "You're such a flirt…"

"Sorry, sorry. Can't help myself. Listen. About last night…" Seth began, looking her dead in the eye.

"That was...uh, intense, huh?" She said with a slight giggle, feeling awkward all of a sudden.

"I'm not really that great with words most of the time. I prefer to show you how I'm feeling. I hope I…_showed_ you." He smirked.

"That's a modest way of putting it." Lace answered through pursed lips.

"Look, there is one thing I gotta ask you again. It's been on my mind and I gotta clear it up."

Seth looked around from side to side. When he was satisfied, he turned his gaze back onto Lace and breathed in slowly.

"I just wanted to double check and make sure…like…say some other dude asked you to go somewhere with him…you wouldn't like…actually go…right?"

Seth cleared his throat and puffed out his chest proudly as another boy walked by.

"What are you talking about?" Lace asked, crossing her arms.

"I saw you with that big, goofy guy this morning. You seemed awfully close. I remember him from the tournament, too…" Seth looked away and pretended he didn't care that much.

"Seth…are you…jealous? Of _Rez?_" Lace taunted, holding back her laughter.

"No. I'm not jealous…but I told you last night. I have this thing about being a little possessive...I know it's sorta intense or whatever, but I told you before you said yes, so…"

He flipped his hair, swishing his reddish bangs over to one side. Lace melted inside.

"Seth…Rez is one of my best friends and he has a very serious girlfriend. Believe me. He is not your competition." Lace felt suddenly cocky, "However, if some other guy came along…"

Seth's expression changed from nervous to desperate. "Let's go out again. You name the place, day…whatever. I'm free."

Lace didn't need to think about it. She quickly responded, "Let's go to the movies tonight!"

Seth's eyes lit up. He quickly glanced around for teachers. When the coast was clear, he grabbed her hands, leaned forward and planted a kiss on her lips.

"By the way…you look smoking hot…"

He turned to walk to his class, not letting go of her hands until the very last moment.

Lace swooned and felt her knees buckle as he hurried away. The bell was about to ring. She hobbled into her classroom and sat down next to Bibii. Bibii instantly started laughing at Lace and imitated her expression. Lace realized that she had a dumb smile plastered across her face and blushed uncontrollably.

"I have a boyfriend." Lace whispered.

Bibii squealed excitedly.

"I might soon, too!" She exclaimed.

Lace was feeling a bit overwhelmed. She decided to calm herself down by asking Bibii some questions instead of talking about the date with Seth.

"So tell me everything! Was it awesome?" Lace asked, leaning forward onto her desk.

"It was incredible! We went to this little café type place where they had French-style food and drinks…it was actually pretty fancy. Then we went to this park and just walked around for like an hour. He's a total dream boat. I mean…perfect. I adore this boy. We talked about martial arts and all kinds of stuff…he's a really interesting person, actually." Bibii blushed, "He also loves to text all day. I love a guy that doesn't mind my obsessive texting!"

She held up her phone and giggled when another text beeped.

Lace took her own phone out of her purse and stared at the screen. Seth hadn't been a texting person so far, but maybe texting him would be okay. She felt a little anxious about it. Why was she afraid to text him? She decided to wait and put her phone back into her purse, shaking her head.

"So…are you going to tell me about douche face or what?" Bibii whispered.

"Oh, my God. You guys are so _mean_." Lace laughed.

"That's what Brie calls him, though. I forgot his name…He was kind of a jerk at my tournament, wasn't he?"

"He is not a douche…well…to me anyway. Anymore. Damn. Okay, point taken." Lace admitted.

"Well? The date?" Bibii urged.

"Okay, well…it was amazing. We went to the aquarium downtown and spent like two hours just walking around. Then we went in that tunnel thing where you can look up and see all the fish…he kissed me."

Bibii squealed excitedly again, bouncing up and down in her desk.

The school day was flying by quickly. Lace still felt a certain glow that made her slightly dizzy when she focused on it. She could hardly wait for her AP biology class to see him again. When the bell finally rang, she hurried out into the hallway excitedly and began limping her way to science.

On the way there, she noticed a crowd gathering in the hallway around one of the bathrooms. Lace heard shouting and saw girls pulling out their phones. Curiously, she inched a little closer to the crowd. The bathroom door was closed, but the voices were audibly screaming at each other inside. Lace had a bad feeling. She closed her eyes and looked into the darkness. There was a regular human inside of the bathroom, but also a raging purple ki about to explode.

"Keiko!" Lace shouted.

She shoved her way through the crowd of girls and ripped the door open. She gasped. Keiko had Mina by her hair and Mina had ripped Keiko's shirt on her shoulder.

"What the _hell_ is your problem?" Lace shouted, pulling Mina off of Keiko and throwing her against the opposite wall.

"This bitch made my boyfriend dump me! It's all _her_ fault!" Mina screamed in a frenzy with wild eyes.

"I didn't have do anything! He dumped your ass because you're fucking crazy! Besides, I already have a boyfriend, bitch!" Keiko yelled back with fire in her eyes.

Mina stomped her foot and screamed angrily. Lace frowned. She'd had enough.

"Alright, you've had it out for us ever since we moved here! It's not Keiko's fault that Ryo is into her, okay? Back the hell off! The only reason he dated your scary ass is probably because you bribed him into it. Leave Keiko the fuck alone or next time I'll throw you across campus!" Lace growled.

Mina's raspberry-colored eyes stared straight at Lace. She paused, pursing her lips together. Her green eyebrows furrowed in anger. Something about her seemed sad, almost pathetic. Lace wondered what her thick exterior was really hiding. The whole plastic-girl act was beginning to seem like a big front as she unraveled and screamed like a little child.

"Do you know that people are saying that you've been screwing him in the woods? Maybe Jake would like a picture of you two…I have one right here that I can text him any minute!"

Mina held up her phone. Keiko turned white. Lace gasped.

"H-How did you get that?" Keiko demanded.

"I have my ways. I'll bet you also didn't know that I dated Jake last year…I still have his number." Mina grinned.

"Dated…Jake…Last year?" Keiko whispered.

"She's just trying to make you mad, Keiko! Don't believe anything she says!" Lace interrupted.

"No? Okay." Mina shrugged.

She hit the send button on her phone.

"No!" Keiko lunged forward, but Lace grabbed her.

"Don't you ever mess with me again, bitch. I can promise you that it won't be pretty!" Mina growled.

Mina flipped her mint colored hair and turned on her heel. She headed towards the door and laughed when she heard Keiko begin to cry. She slammed the door behind her, leaving the two cousins alone. The huge crowd outside began to cheer for Mina. Lace felt her blood begin to boil in anger.

"Oh, my God, Lace! What am I gonna do? Jake is gonna be heartbroken! He'll never speak to me again! It…it was a one-time thing…" Keiko cried.

Lace didn't understand a lot of emotional responses that other girls showed in certain situations. She felt perplexed by Keiko's blatant disregard for her own feelings. If she didn't like Jake, why was she still dating him in the first place? It certainly seemed like Keiko was happy with Jake. Ryo seemed to only make Keiko upset whenever he was around. Why was she still hanging on to the idea of him?

At lunch, Mina's friends continuously walked back and forth to make faces at Keiko. Ryo was nowhere to be found. Keiko was curled up in her sweater on the table and still teary eyed. Jake hadn't answered any of her texts. He also seemed to be missing from school, even though Lace knew she'd seen him in the hallway that morning.

"Hey…talk to me…" Lace begged Keiko quietly, looking around.

"I texted Jake like five hundred times, but he never answered. He'll probably never respond to me again. God, what was I _thinking?_ Poor Jake…" Keiko cried, completely horrified.

Keiko hadn't told the gang about the incident yet, but Chai could tell something was going on when she sat down. She'd been quiet until a welcomed distraction appeared soon to change the subject. Rez and Bibii joined the table, both with a little bit of black stuff smeared on their faces and clothes. Chai gasped.

"What did you get on your face?"

She licked a napkin and started dabbing it on Rez's cheek.

"Well, Rez here, you know, Mr. Scientist…he blew up his "potion" in physics. We were just doing a simple experiment, but no, Rez had to pretend he's at friggin Hogwarts. I swear…the one person I didn't want as a lab partner. Every single year I'm stuck with this guy and every year he blows something up."

"At least it wasn't a big explosion, just our table got a little charred. Coulda been a lot worse, Beebs." Rez shrugged.

"Where's Brie?" Keiko asked weakly.

"I don't know…that's weird." Chai answered.

Lace felt around for her sister's ki. Nothing was there. Keiko looked a little nervous.

"I'm gonna go check the library…" Lace said in a worried tone.

"Oh, no you're not."

Seth's voice said from behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and sat her back down.

"You're eating lunch with this awesome guy." Seth said happily, pointing at himself.

Lace grumbled, "But I don't know where my sister is!"

"I saw her in the library with that dude with the glasses. I think they were trying to study, but we all know how _that_ goes." Seth laughed, setting down his tray, "So what's up guys?"

The group stared at him. Bibii and Keiko exchanged dumbfounded looks. Rez waved happily and Chai introduced herself. She had yet to enjoy the company of Seth, but Bibii couldn't stop smiling. She made a face at Keiko, who looked utterly disgusted.

"What are you doing?" Keiko grumbled, rubbing her eyes to rid herself of the mascara stains.

"Sitting with my girlfriend." He said matter-of-factly, placing an arm around Lace's waist and sliding her closer to him.

"_Girlfriend?_" Keiko gasped.

Lace stared at the floor with a red face.

"Girlfriend…yeah." Seth answered with a scoff, proudly lifting his head.

"Shit…I gotta get outta here." Keiko sighed, slamming her hands on the table and rising up.

She stormed towards the entrance and left her food untouched. The group looked around at each other. Lace shook her head and assured them that her outburst had literally nothing to do with any of them.

"So…I…can eat that, right?" Rez asked, staring at her tray.

"Aw, I wish Hakosu went here! I hate that he goes to another school…He is so good at calming people down and making them feel better after a crappy day…" Bibii complained.

"Not everyone can afford to come to this…_prestigious_ academy, you know." Seth said, rolling his eyes.

"You go here. Doesn't that make you…_prestigious?_" Bibii answered with a snarky little attitude.

"Whatever." Seth answered, looking away.

Lace smacked his leg. What was it with him and money? She just didn't get it.

At the end of the day, Lace decided to wander the hallway instead of sit in class. She hated school, even if she was good at it. Her Brief-family-intelligence was so high that she couldn't bear to sit in classes with idiotic jocks. She turned a corner and found herself in a less populated wing of the school. She pulled out her phone instinctively to check the time and such, but she heard voices ahead.

She snuck forward and peeked around a corner very slowly. It was Keiko, but this time, she was talking to Ryo. He was trying to convince her to do something, but she was getting frustrated. Lace guessed it had to do with leaving Jake.

"She sent it to him. She freaking sent him the picture…I can't believe I didn't see her following us. I _told_ you this would happen!" Keiko lectured frantically, pulling at her hair.

"Look I don't care about her. I care about you. I wanna be with you. Jake doesn't even realize what he has! Just forget about Mina for one second and just think about us. Think about me…" Ryo pleaded.

"Please…you're making this so hard, Ryo!" Keiko sniffled.

"Keiko…I…I lo-"

Keiko's face turned white. Lace felt their uneasy tension about to explode. Keiko cut him off with a swift slap to the face and stormed off. She was heading straight for Lace.

Lace panicked and tried to think of where she could run to, but there was nowhere to hide. She kept watching instead and saw Ryo run forward and grab Keiko's arm. He spun her around in a sweeping motion and locked lips with her. Lace blushed and hid again, but couldn't resist. She peeked around for a final time but what she saw sent chills down her spine. A sparkle caught her eye from around a corner. She focused on that corner and made out what was actually there.

Mina was standing with her mouth agape and tears pouring out of her eyes silently. Above her stood Jake, who was equally as shocked, but looked more angry than sad. Lace worried he might charge out from behind the lockers and take Ryo out, but instead he continued to watch with a firm frown spread across his face. Lace felt bad for him. Keiko had no idea the mess that she was creating.

Lace leaned back against the wall and breathed a sigh of relief. She only wanted Keiko to experience the same happiness she was experiencing with Seth. She seemed like she was really falling for Jake…when on Earth did she have time to kiss Ryo in secret?

After school, Lace took a detour by sky and flew into the city. She wandered around to different stores, trying on outfits and buying some makeup. Her intentions were to show off on dates with Seth, but she had trouble with actually finding the right things. Most of the clothes she liked were baggy and comfortable, not exactly flattering.

When the sky began to grow dark, she pulled out her phone to text Seth. She decided she would meet him at the huge movie theater in the heart of the city and surprise him by buying the tickets before he got there. She excitedly began to type, but something caught her attention and distracted her.

A power level she didn't recognize was approaching by foot. She stopped typing and put the phone back in her pocket. She turned around and saw a man dressed all in black following her. He was far enough behind that she could still out run him, but she tried not to panic.

Wanting to avoid the public eye, she turned down an ally. She kicked on the ground to take flight, but she fell to the ground instead.

"What the hell?" She gasped.

She put a hand against the building beside her and stood up again. She tried kicking into the air, but she couldn't control her ki at all. She suddenly felt weighed down as though something was sitting on her shoulders. She couldn't even hold up her own weight. She fell to the ground and clutched her still-healing leg in pain. Her body felt like it was caving in on itself.

_What was happening?_

She saw the man turn down the same ally and tried to get up, but she was slow and in horrible pain. She looked over her shoulder and could see his terrifying, black eyes upon her. She screamed for help.

Gathering all of her strength, she lifted herself up to her feet and started limping away from him. She strained, yelling, trying to make something happen within her body, but her powers felt blocked. The man grabbed her hair and spin her around to face him without much effort. His strong jawline reminded her of Vegeta's, but his eyes were demonic and cruel. A long, brown tail waved behind him.

_A saiyan?  
_  
She flailed her body in a panic and bit his arm as hard as she could. He yelled out and punched her harder than she'd ever been punched in her life. She felt her nose break on contact. Not only were her powers gone, her super-human strength seemed absent as well.

He pulled her hair harder and spun her around again. He pushed her up against the brick building to their left and pressed his sweaty body against hers. She couldn't escape. Lace felt a cold sweat travel down her spine.

That moment when everything is about to end is what everyone fears the most. The moment when death knocks on your door and screams in your ear that you don't deserve to live for one more second is the most terrifying. Unfortunately or fortunately for Lace, depending on how one might look at the situation, it might be the very last time she'd ever need to feel it.

"I'm supposed to bring you to the queen but…she didn't say I couldn't have my way with you first. You're a feisty little one, aren't you?" The man breathed into her ear before licking up her neck.

Lace felt her stomach turn over in disgust. She tried to pull away from him, but she was completely human. Her weak hands simply hung there helplessly in his powerful grip.

"My father…my grandfather…they'll kill you! If you put one more hand on me, they'll kill you slowly and painfully!" Lace exclaimed.

"I am not afraid of the fallen prince Vegeta! My alliance is to the true royal bloodline of the saiyans!" The man shouted before slamming her head against the building twice.

Her vision clouded. Suddenly, she could only see the color red. She could feel the hot blood running down her forehead and into her eyes.

"Please…please don't…" Lace mumbled incoherently, losing consciousness.

The man tore at her shirt. She felt her bare shoulders exposed to the chilly air. She tried to wriggle free one last time, but again felt her head slam into the wall. Dizzy and fading, a voice cut through her own screams of pain.

"Get the fuck away from her!"

She felt the man's horrible body fly off of her and breathed in desperately. She fell to the ground and tried to scramble away, but she was terribly injured and cried out in pain. She wondered if this numbing pain was what humans felt when they were injured, as she'd never felt so physically destroyed in her life. Her saiyan strength wasn't present at all. The blood loss was catching up to her. She coughed and choked, spitting up what looked like a tooth. Hot tears stung her already bleeding cheeks. She turned her weak head to look at the fight unfolding just in front of her.

"Fucking die you bastard!"

A young man was standing in front of her facing away and glowing golden with spikey, yellow hair. His own brown tail was waving around violently. He had the large man's neck in one hand. He crushed in with his fingers, but the man powered up as well. Though the evil saiyan couldn't reach super saiyan form, he broke free of the younger man's grip and flew backwards. He took a defensive pose.

"Yeah, that's it. Come at me, you bastard!" The younger saiyan teased in a low, surly voice.

The bigger saiyan obliged and ran straight for the super saiyan with crazy eyes, screaming loudly. The super saiyan laughed maniacally and ran towards him head on. He grabbed him by the shoulders. Their foreheads cracked together brutally. The large, bulky saiyan fell backwards grabbing his head, but the super saiyan didn't let up. He charged forward again and slammed the man against the opposite building. A crack formed on the bricks all the way to the very top. He spun the man around and pulled his arms behind him like a police officer about to cuff a criminal.

"Oh, God…" Lace gasped.

She knew what was coming and looked away.

The super saiyan growled loudly and pulled backwards. The horrible sound of him ripping the arms from the evil man made Lace throw up instantly. She could hear him screaming for his life, but the super saiyan was absolutely ruthless.

"Die…you filthy piece of shit!"

The large man screamed, but after a loud blow, the screaming stopped completely. It was silent.

Lace felt her cheek laying on the cold gravel below. Her body was numb to the pain it had been feeling. She saw a burning, white light. Was she on fire? She felt warm, like the sun was beating on her skin.

"Shh…it's over…" A voice whispered.

She tried to open her eyes, but her vision was too blurry and made her dizzy beyond belief. She couldn't make out his face. She could only see his glowing, golden hair. Only one name came to her lips.

"C-Cody?"


	11. Chapter 11

Lace woke from a deep sleep feeling sick to her stomach. She could smell the candy-flavored candle by her bedside that Keiko gave her a few days ago. She was definitely in her bedroom.

Still keeping her sore, swollen eyes shut, she caught the smell of Old Spice and realized her father was stroking her hair. She could hear her mother crying just a few feet away. Slowly, she tried to open her eyes, but Goten hushed her softly.

"Don't try to open them yet. They're very swollen." He whispered calmly.

Someone got off of the foot of Lace's bed and rushed over to her. She felt her mother's long, straight hair brush gently over her arm.

"Lacey, baby…I was so worried! Can you speak? Do you want anything?" Bra asked desperately.

"Bra, give her a minute…chill…" Goten sighed.

Lace wasn't sure if she could in fact speak. She opened her mouth and tried, but only a small whimper escaped.

"Oh, baby…" Bra cried.

Lace heard Brie's clomping footsteps coming down the hall. She entered Lace's room and cleared her throat.

"Mom, Gin's better. His attack slowed down. He's still crying, but he's breathing normally again…s-should I call grandma again?"

Lace wanted to cry. Her appearance must've been so bad that she threw her own brother into an asthma attack.

"Go and check on him, Bra. I've got Lace." Goten said softly, clearly trying to get Bra out of the room.

Lace heard Bra get up and walk down the hallway. Heels, Lace thought. Of course her mother was wearing heels, even at a time like this. She tried to smile, but the pain was excruciating. She parted her lips and inhaled.

"It…hurts…" Lace whispered painfully.

"I know, Lacey. Just hold on." Goten said in a soothing voice, running the back of his hand over Lace's cheek.

Another set of footsteps came into her bedroom calmly. She wondered if it was Keiko or another family member helping out. She felt their eyes staring at her and wanted to crawl into a hole. How embarrassing.

"Here you go, sir."

Lace felt her heart stop. Was that…?

"Thanks, uh…"

"Seth, sir."

"Right. Thanks, Seth." Goten said in an authoritative voice.

Lace's eyes flew open through the pain. She saw Seth standing over her looking very concerned. His brows were angled inwards and his eyes burned with rage. He looked away as Goten reached behind her head and propped her up with some pillows.

"Lace, I know you probably don't want to eat anything right now, but I crushed up some Senzu beans that your grandpa brought and put them into some tea…this should make everything better. Try to drink it, honey." Goten said, bringing the cup to Lace's dry lips.

Grandpa Goku was in America? How? Why?

After a few weak sips, Lace felt the warmth in her stomach spread over her entire body. The swelling on her face deflated and disappeared within seconds. She felt several of her bones click back into place and mend. After a small gasp, the pain was completely gone. Energy filled her up and she sighed in relief. She sat up and looked down at her blood-stained arms.

"Wow…" Lace whispered, "I look awful!"

"God, I'm so glad it worked…" Goten exhaled loudly, "Korin's been growing them since you broke your leg. We're very lucky they were ripe enough to use."

Lace looked up at Seth, worried about what he'd just seen. He was standing at the end of her bed with his eyes wide open and stammering.

"T-that was incredible!" Seth exclaimed.

"What are you doing here?" Lace asked, cutting him off and looking at her dad through the corner of her eye.

Seth looked a little hurt and stared upwards at the ceiling fan. Goten smirked at his disappointment and held Lace's hand tightly.

"Seth brought you here, Lace. He found you downtown. You were almost dead." Goten answered for Seth gravely.

"Almost…dead…"

Lace's memories suddenly flashed by in an instant. She remembered feeling her powers drain from her body. She felt the large man beating her senseless and ripping her shirt open. She flinched, realizing he was going to rape her had they not been interrupted. She felt the pit of her stomach tighten.

"A…a super saiyan…saved me…" Lace whispered.

Goten turned white and squeezed her hand so hard she yelled out.

"Dad!" She exclaimed.

"Lacey! Ah-hah…I think you're making up words! Does your head hurt?" Goten laughed awkwardly, nodding towards Seth.

Lace felt embarrassed and instantly recoiled. If only she didn't have to keep their race a secret.

"Oh um…yeah, my head still kinda hurts…"

Seth narrowed his silver eyes and took a seat in her black butterfly chair calmly. She wondered what he must be thinking and felt terribly guilty for putting him through hell. Instead of asking questions about her slip of the tongue, he quietly picked up a magazine laying on the floor and began to flip through it.

"May I stick around a little longer, sir? I'll look after her for a bit." Seth asked nonchalantly, looking down at the pages in the magazine.

"I guess that's okay...Let me go check on Gin." Goten said, pointing at the two teenagers before leaving the room, "I'll be back though. Don't get _any_ ideas."

Lace blushed and frowned at her father. When he left, she sat up and looked directly at Seth, desperate for answers.

"Hi." Seth said flatly, still not looking up from the magazine.

"D-did _you_ see him? The…the blonde guy?" Lace asked.

"What blonde guy? Was the guy who did this to you blonde or something?"

"No! The guy who saved me was blonde!" Lace exclaimed.

"Lace…I'm not sure anyone saved you. You were barely breathing when _I_ found you. It's a miracle that you were still alive."

"Someone stopped him. He was going to…to rape me...Someone rescued me before that happened. I know it. I saw him!"

Seth closed his eyes like her words brought him serious pain. He sucked his teeth angrily and pursed his lips together. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself and opened his eyes again. Lace waited anxiously, but his eyes returned to the pages of the magazine.

"I didn't see him, babe."

Lace shushed him and flung her arms around crazily.

"_Seth!_ Don't let my dad hear you say stuff like that! He doesn't know you're my boyfriend, does he? Please tell me you didn't tell him!"

Seth laughed. He finally closed the magazine and tossed it onto the floor again. He stood up slowly and crossed his arms, shaking his head.

"You're sitting there with blood all over you, talking non-sense, and you're worried if I told your dad that we're dating? It's okay, Lace. I think he gets it. Did you not see how he just looked at me? I'm out to corrupt his innocent baby girl, I guess. Like _that's_ possible."

Lace sat back against her pillows and crossed her own arms firmly in response. Seth seemed a little offended that she cared if her father knew, but she couldn't help herself. Goten wasn't the easiest dad to win over on subjects he didn't like to talk about. He was very protective of his daughters. Lace had also never had an official boyfriend before that he knew of. She realized Seth didn't know all of that and how she may have seemed embarrassed of _him_ instead of a boyfriend in general. She sighed and lowered her head.

"I'm sorry." Lace said sadly, "I didn't mean that I'm ashamed of _you_…"

"It's fine." Seth responded shortly, "You get a pass tonight."

He walked over to the side of her bed and sat down beside her. She scooted slightly, allowing him more room. He reached out to touch her cheek.

"I'm so glad that you're okay. I keep thinking…if I hadn't been right there…" Seth whispered.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, you were in the alley behind the movie theater." He answered.

"No I wasn't." Lace frowned.

"Um…yeah you were. I found you there because we had a date, remember?" Seth frowned back.

"Okay…maybe I was confused…" Lace answered, unconvinced, "So…are _you_ okay?"

Seth's eyes glazed over a bit. He had a sad look to him, different from worry over her wellbeing. She felt uneasy.

"I'm fine." He answered, exhaling slowly.

He sat back a little and stared at the floor in front of him. Lace wanted to know what was wrong, but he was too lost in thought to even begin to break through. She supposed he was probably in shock from seeing her in a pool of her own blood. Perhaps it was best to let him be and deal with it in his own way. He hadn't even asked about the senzu bean tea, which surely freaked him out completely.

"I really wish I could stay here tonight. Like…on the couch or something. I hate the idea of leaving you alone right now." Seth whispered softly.

"I mean…maybe…we could…" Lace began to suggest something, but Goten was coming back down the hallway.

Seth stood up quickly and began to pace around innocently. When Goten re-entered Lace's room, he tried his best to smile and be polite.

"It's getting late. You should probably get home, right? Wouldn't want your parents worrying about you." Goten said, looking at Seth with judgmental eyes.

Seth nodded, "Alright. Thank you for having me, sir. I'll…I'll see you later, Lace."

Lace was terrified that her father would want to talk to her after Seth left, but instead he turned off Lace's light and closed the door. Maybe he was planning to interrogate Seth? She sighed. She was tired, so maybe sleep wasn't such a bad idea.

Later that night when the family was asleep, Lace began to dream of the attack she'd experienced. She saw the face of the large man and felt his dirty, sweaty hands on her body. She screamed out, but no one was there to help her. She felt the pain of her bones being shattered and her blood washing down her face. Still, no one came.

After a while, a face appeared in the darkness. It was glowing yellow and shrouded in shadows. She couldn't see its features, only that it was a super saiyan man.

"I'll kill you!" The voice called out.

A large flash of light blew the large man away from her. A super saiyan stood in front of her, ready for a fight. He took a defensive stance and lowered his monstrous, green eyes onto hers. She screamed and started kicking herself backwards.

The super saiyan started towards her. She screamed. She couldn't escape. She braced herself for a hit, but the saiyan jumped over her and attacked the man instead. They disappeared into darkness, leaving Lace alone.

She woke and shot straight out of bed. She was in fact alone, but she was in her room. It was another nightmare. The only difference this time was that she didn't wake her parents. She looked down at her hands and examined them closely. She wasn't glowing pink like she usually did after a nightmare. She ran to her mirror.

"Holy shit!" Lace exclaimed.

She clicked on her lamp and looked closer. She heard Brie stir and rush into her room.

"Are you okay?" Brie whispered nervously, entering and closing the door quietly behind her.

"Look! Look at my eyes!" Lace squeaked breathlessly.

Brie approached her cautiously. She stood on her tip-toes and gasped.

"Your eyes…the ring is gone!" Brie squealed.

"I know!" Lace started to panic, "What's wrong with me?"

Was her power really gone? Was she a pure human now? So many questions remained unanswered that she couldn't understand.

Brie wrapped her arms around her sister's waist and held onto her tightly. The girls began to cry together, likely from the horrible scare that Lace both experienced and delivered that night. Soon, they both crawled into Lace's bed and fell back to sleep. Lace was happy not to be alone. She couldn't bear to be alone after re-living that night's encounter.

At school the next day, Lace waited for Seth at the water fountain in the morning. She was early again, seeing as she didn't get much sleep after the nightmare. She played with her phone until he approached and sat beside her silently.

"Morning." Lace whispered.

"You shouldn't be at school today. You're still recovering." Seth said seriously.

Lace sighed and looked around before speaking. "I'm okay. I'm totally fine…it's okay. And look! My leg is all healed up!"

Seth nodded and stared at the ground. Something was getting to him, but she couldn't figure out what exactly. As the rest of the group approached, Lace noticed that Keiko was very upset. She decided to focus on Keiko's problems instead of her own or on Seth's. Besides, Keiko didn't even know what happened the night before.

"What's wrong?" Lace asked Keiko.

"I…I broke up with Jake last night…"

Lace frowned and pulled Keiko into a hug. Chai and Bibii joined in on the group hug, but Brie was distracted by Christopher. Rez joined Seth at the fountain and took a seat.

"So much drama, bro. I can't deal with all that shit." Rez groaned.

"Yeah…drama…" Seth said, distracted.

"You alright, man? You seem kinda pissed…" Rez asked cautiously.

"I feel like shit. I think I'm gonna take off…I don't feel like being here today."

Rez gasped.

"Dude! We have a test in trig! You can't skip today!"

Seth chuckled and looked at Rez slyly, "I do what I want. I don't give a fuck about that."

Seth turned and started to leave the group. Lace noticed and left Keiko in the care of Bibii before running over to him and grabbing his arm.

"Where the hell are you going?" Lace demanded.

"Somewhere. I don't know." Seth answered shortly.

"What? No! I really want you here today…" Lace whined.

"Oh, really? Why don't you just call Cody and ask him to come and hang out with you? Oh, wait. That's right. He doesn't care about you, but for some reason, he's all you can think about, right?"

Lace felt her heart crack in half. _Cody?_ Why on Earth was he bringing up Cody?

"Seth, wait!" Lace called in a last-ditch effort.

"What?" Seth growled angrily, scaring her a little bit.

"I…I don't want you to go…" Lace whispered.

He turned back around and kept walking. Lace stood helplessly and dropped her arms to her side. She returned to Keiko and wrapped her arm around her cousin's waist sadly. Perhaps today was just supposed to be a shitty day. Surely Seth would come around. He did have that weird possessive thing about him. Maybe he was just jealous.

Later, the junior class had an assembly about drugs and drinking. The classes filed into the gymnasium and piled into the bleachers. Lace searched for her friends and saw Rez's huge hair above the crowd. She climbed up the bleachers and found him sitting with Bibii, watching a funny video on her phone. She joined them and leaned on Rez's arm to watch.

"Wow, someone has changed. A month ago you never would have gotten that close to Rez." Bibii laughed.

"She's in love, Bibii. Things change, girl. You'll be there soon enough, too!" Rez answered, slightly mocking the girls' voices.

_In love?_ Right. If they only knew what was really going on.

That weekend, Lace was determined to have some fun. She and her group of friends decided to throw a party, a small one, at Keiko's house. Lace loved her uncle Trunks' house, mainly because of the enormous basement that they converted into an entertainment space. She excitedly arrived riding in the bed of Rez's big, black truck.

"Hey, guys!" Keiko called, waving happily.

Rez hopped out of the truck and opened his passenger side door for Chai. Lace chuckled watching him lift her up high and then set her gently on the ground. She was so tiny, just like Brie.

"Yo, yo! What up!" Rez bellowed, offering a hand to Brie.

"Puh-leeze, I don't need help!" Brie grumbled, hopping gently to the ground.

"Is it even legal for us to be in the bed of a truck on the highway? I'm pretty sure Rez could've been pulled over…" Bibii asked, clutching her phone.

"Nah, whatever. We're good. We're here now anyway." Lace shrugged.

A second car pulled up behind Rez's. Keiko ran out and clapped her hands when Jake exited the vehicle. The group stared as he swept Keiko up into his arms and squeezed her tightly. A rather personal kiss followed, prompting Bibii to groan uncomfortably and look at her phone screen.

_They were already back together?_

"Hey so…I invited Hakosu. He should be here soon! I'm excited for you all to meet him officially." Bibii said awkwardly, ignoring Keiko and Jake's make-out session.

"I think I'll get along with him. He seems like a cool dude. Yo, Brie. Where's Chris at?" Rez asked loudly, patting Brie on the back.

"He's coming. He had to get a ride. He's not sixteen yet, obviously.

"Aw, poor sap. I coulda picked his ass up. He afraid of me or something?"

Brie slapped Rez on the arm as the others laughed.

"Well, come on in guys!" Keiko said, finally breaking away from Jake, "My parents are gone for the weekend...the place is ours!"

The group entered through their extravagant front door and marveled as they were greeted by a sweeping staircase. It twisted up to the upper balcony, revealing a gigantic chandelier that hung quite high up. It's dripping crystals shined brightly against the setting, orange sun peeking through the front window.

"_Woah_, nice place!" Rez said, staring upwards.

"I know, right?" Keiko smirked with pride.

She skipped forward and stopped short of a living room revealing the tallest windows in a home that the group had ever seen. Leather couches sat in perfect form with a glass coffee table facing an impressively large fireplace. Even further impressive was the television hanging on the wall. Rez stared at it and practically drooled.

"Do you guys ever even use that thing?" Brie asked Keiko.

"Nah, I mean, my dad watches it sometimes, but not really." Keiko answered.

Lace sighed. So much wealth, but did it really matter? They didn't even use the things that they owned. The company her great-grandfather Brief worked so hard to build had to start with humbler beginnings.

_Didn't it?__  
_  
They began their descent to the basement. Jake gasped at the sight of their salt water aquarium wall. Keiko ran up to it and held up her hands.

"Don't tap the glass…the puffer fish will blow up and that hurts it. Just look."

The group slowly walked past the tank and marveled at the blue and yellow tangs, shrimp and other assorted fish. Rez pressed his face against the glass and spotted a large fish with leopard print fins sticking out from every angle. He smiled widely.

"Look! That fish's hair looks like mine!"

The girls giggled.

"It's a lion fish, Rez. Those are fins, not hair, oh my God." Keiko corrected with a laugh.

"Aw, yeah! Lion fish…Bad. Ass."

Chai dragged Rez along by his shirt.

A large pool table decorated the right side near the staircase while a sitting room filled the other. A full kitchen with a large serving bar separated the two. Keiko went straight for it and pulled out a case of beer.

"Woah, I'm not okay with that…" Bibii warned.

"It's okay. I knew you wouldn't be. You don't have to have any." Keiko said kindly, shrugging, "But I'm hittin it hard tonight!"

Bibii nodded anxiously, but Lace could see her discomfort. Hopefully Hakosu would help her forget her worries when he arrived.

"Um, I'll have one, please. This week has been…challenging." Jake said with a finger pointed in the air.

"Same." Lace admitted, taking a beer even though she hated the taste.

"Won't uncle Trunks kill you?" Brie asked, taking one for herself and smirking.

"Like they'll notice." Keiko laughed.

"…And your little brothers…Yuji? Mitsuo? Surely the twins wouldn't keep it a secret if they knew you were partying down here." Lace prodded.

"You have brothers? Cool!" Rez interrupted.

Just then, thundering footsteps could be heard from above. It sounded as though they might come through the ceiling. Keiko sighed and grumbled. The door flew open and down the stairs they came.

"Keiko! You didn't say you were having company!" Yuji, the more docile of the two said happily.

"Aw, you stole that beer! I'm telling dad!" Mitsuo added.

Lace found them incredibly annoying, but they were good company for Gin when they were together. Only a year older than Gin, the twins would probably be the sole reason that Gin eventually could gain a social life. If it weren't for them, Gin would likely never talk to girls on his own. He was the definition of a home schooled kid.

"Don't you dare or I'll tell dad that it actually was you that dented his car and broke that window!" Keiko shouted back.

"Dang, okay! Okay! Chill, sis." Mitsuo frowned.

The doorbell rang. The twins looked up in glee, waiting for Keiko to give them permission.

"Fine…answer the damn door…" Keiko sighed.

The twins bounded back upstairs. They heard the door open and close, and soon footsteps could be heard on the steps again. They looked up and found Christopher and Hakosu waving as they entered the room, but to Lace's surprise, Seth was trailing behind them with his hands in his pockets and looking down.

"Seth!" Lace exclaimed excitedly, unable to hide her happiness regardless of their little spat that morning.

"Hey…" He said quietly.

"Bibii!" Hakosu hollered, holding out his arms and rushing forward. Bibii jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly.

Christopher looked a little peeved. He took Brie aside and said something, to which Brie responded with a gasp. The two quickly went off to talk in private. Lace was curious, but Seth was standing right in front of her now.

"Are we ok?" He asked blatantly, looking up at her longingly.

"I don't know. I was gonna ask you the same." Lace answered, crossing her arms.

"Look…I'm…I'm not good at this. I told you I have jealousy issues."

Lace sighed. She had to get some air. She turned around and opened the sliding glass doors to the back yard. She stood outside against a support beam for the upper deck and watched the pool water sway with the wind. The air was quite chilly. Lace cuddled up into her large sweater.

"You okay?" Seth asked.

He closed the door behind him and joined her.

"Well, I wish that I knew what was bothering you. If I knew, then I could just fix it and we'd be okay again. I almost died and this is the treatment I get?" Lace complained.

"It's not that simple…" He sighed.

Lace turned around and stared at him. He took notice to her eyes and stepped closer. Lace drew back.

"Your eyes…they're different..." Seth said.

"Yeah. They are. I guess that's simple enough for you to notice…" Lace's temper was rising.

"Look, I'm sorry. I just…I can't believe you don't remember…how I found you…"

Lace peered up at him.

"I'm sorry for that, I really am. How can you hold that against me?" Lace demanded.

"I'm not trying to. I just hate that…" He paused.

"What, Seth?"

"I hate that I'm not your number one. I hate that you love someone else."

Lace looked shocked. She hadn't spoken of Cody for a long time and she'd never told Seth about the accident in detail. She hadn't seen him since the night she snuck out to be with Seth. There was no reason for him to be jealous.

Seth stepped closer to her and snapped her out of her thoughts. He looked serious and desperate.

"Lace…try to remember. Look at my face. I haven't been…completely honest with you. Look at me!"

Seth grabbed Lace by the shoulders and pulled her in front of him. He stared into her eyes. She felt a pang in her heart when his face frowned with pain. He had been hiding something, she knew that much, but what was he trying to tell her? What was so complicated that he couldn't just say it?

"I'm looking at you! I don't know what you want me to say! I'm sorry!" Lace shouted impatiently, feeling a bit emotional.

Seth's eyes slanted. He turned away and hid his face in his hands.

"I just don't get it! How can you not…feel it?"

Lace gasped. Was he trying to tell her that he loved her?

She searched her heart for answers. Did she love him? She'd thought she knew love before, but she was so very wrong back then. Cody was never a true love, only a silly crush that got her gravely injured in the end. She crossed her arms and stared into space.

"Seth…I think…"

Seth went rigid. He looked up at the night sky and gasped.

"W-what?" Lace began to ask.

"Be quiet!" Seth demanded, grabbing her and hiding below the cover of the deck.

Lace looked stunned, "What?"

"Just do it, dammit!" Seth replied angrily.

Lace did as he asked with complete and utter confusion. He held completely still, holding onto Lace as though she'd float away if he let go. His worried eyes looked up and seemed unable to blink. He was as still as a board.

"Go…just go…" Seth whispered desperately.

"Um…" Lace whispered back, thinking he was talking to her.

"Not you. _Them_."

Lace's eyes grew huge. She backed up against the glass doors.

"Who is _them_?" She asked, feeling extremely nervous.

"I haven't figured that out yet." Seth replied quickly, "But now I know…they are definitely following you."

Finally, Seth's grip relaxed on her a bit. Lace stood up straight and pulled Seth around to face her. He'd given too much away to avoid her questions any longer.

"What the hell was that?" Lace growled, "Who's following me? Tell me!"

Seth looked pale.

"_Answer me, dammit!"_ Lace growled in her most Vegeta-like voice.

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair anxiously. He looked pained, but he was beginning to crack under the pressure of Lace's persistence.

"Isn't it obvious? My attraction to you, yours to me…how I saved you last night…How can you not _feel_ it? How do you not know?"

Lace stared blankly.

"Isn't is obvious how we make each other feel? Normal people…humans…they don't feel a connection like this."

Lace's mouth opened, but closed again without speaking. What was he trying to say? She felt her heart pounding against her chest angrily and wanted to scream at him. What did he mean? What was he thinking?

"Seth, I don't understand!" Lace cried, feeling helpless.

He took a step towards her. His expression was hardened, yet sad. He sighed and put both hands on her shoulders. He lowered his head to stare directly in her eyes. She felt her stomach tighten. His lips parted to speak. She held her breath.

"Isn't it obvious to you by now…that I'm a saiyan, too?"


	12. Chapter 12

"Do you like horror movies?" Brie asked Christopher while they sat in math class.

"Not particularly..." He gulped nervously, "They kinda freak me out."

"Oh…"

Brie's disappointment was beyond evident. She wasn't very good at hiding her emotions. He stared awkwardly and shuffled his feet under his desk.

"B-but if you like them…then…maybe I could learn to like them?"

Christopher puffed out his chest and tried to look macho, making Brie giggle. The teacher turned around from the board and gave them a stern look. Other students also turned to look at them. Brie shrugged and looked down at her papers with a huge grin.

In Japan, Brie was always popular in school, but in an unusual kind of way. She wore mostly pink, preppy clothing, yet had an obsession with skull necklaces and bracelets. She even had a ring with a skull head that she wore on her middle finger all the time. The cheerleaders and preps didn't really know what to make of her, but her personality was infectious. One smile and anyone would bend to her will.

In addition to her unique fashion choices, she was a career gamer. Her skills on almost any console were unrivaled. She made this skill public knowledge and often bragged about it, which further confused the other preppy girls. Brie enjoyed the looks she got from them and used it to further bolster her self-esteem.

Unlike Lace, coming to America was exciting for Brie. She wasn't nervous about her first day of school. Meeting new people was fun and she wanted to make her way into the "it" crowd. Her first day, things obviously pointed to Mina's group as the top dogs, but then Brie met Christopher. He was hanging around with the football jocks in their letterman jackets and acting tough, but she had a sense that he was different.

Getting to know him revealed his gentle side. He was a lot like her in that he wasn't the stereotypical jock guy. He was also a gamer, though not as obsessive about it, and his awkwardness around girls made Brie giggle every time he picked up a dropped pencil or handed someone something. Even his text messages were awkward, but they were still flirty. A single word could make Brie's stomach flutter with butterflies as she pictured his flushed cheeks and nerdy glasses speaking the words that he typed.

"So uh…why did you ask about horror movies?" Christopher whispered, bringing Brie back from her daydream.

"Well, I wanted to bring one to Keiko's party tonight for us to watch but I wasn't sure everyone would like it. It's about an exorcism…my favorite horror movie subject!"

Brie clapped her hands together quietly and smiled almost too wide. Christopher laughed nervously and rubbed his forehead.

"Yeah…I'm not sure that would be the best choice for a party would it?"

She sighed and rested her chin on her hand. Math class was so boring. She could care less about grades. She was more interested in strategizing for one of her ongoing RPGs at home.

When the bell rang to dismiss them to their next class, Brie popped up from her chair and swung her giant purse over her shoulder. She accidentally slapped Christopher right in the stomach with a little too much saiyan-worthy power. Christopher stumbled backwards a bit and coughed.

"Holy crap! Are you okay?" Brie squealed.

"Y-yeah…damn, what do you have in that thing? Bricks?" He coughed back at her.

Brie smiled. She reached out for his hand and yanked him towards her, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Chrissy." She purred playfully.

Christopher's eyes popped out of his head. He swung his head around in a panic and noticed a few cheerleaders up ahead giggling.

"Don't call me that at school, Brie! If the guys ever found out…"

Brie placed her index finger lightly over his lips, silencing him. She winked and smirked, effectively shutting him up for good over the subject. She had him wrapped around her little finger.

They exited the room and headed out into the hallway. Brie's last class of the day was the opposite direction of Christopher's, but he always managed to walk her there and still make it to his class on time.

"Hey, so…is your sister really dating that new guy, Seth? I heard some of the guys talking about it earlier. Rumor has it that he was kicked out of his old school for fighting and I've totally seen him smoking on campus."

"Yeah. They're dating and it's super annoying. I think she sneaks out with him more nights than she stays home lately. He's totally a bad influence on her."

Christopher chuckled and shook his head.

"A bad influence? On Lace? Brie, your sister is terrifying. If anything, she probably influences him. Wait! Oh, my God! Does she smoke? That's so bad for you, though!"

"What? No! I mean…I don't think so…" Brie shrugged, suddenly concerned.

Brie sighed and crossed her arms. If Christopher only knew just how right he was about Lace being scary, he probably wouldn't have ever agreed to go out with Brie in the first place. She wondered if she would ever gather the courage to tell him what happened in Tokyo. The event that moved their family across the globe still felt so fresh that it hurt when she thought about it.

"What's wrong?" Christopher asked, "Sorry if I offended you…I-I was just kidding…I'm sure she's not doing that…"

"No! No, I was thinking about how right you actually are!" Brie assured him.

"Hey, totally unrelated, but I have to do some research for this stupid project in language arts. I was gonna try to do it before the party...You wanna help? I'm sure you can help me come up with something cool…it'll be fun." Christopher smiled.

"Sure. In the library?" Brie asked innocently.

Christopher blushed and nodded.

"I'll meet you there after school." He said calmly.

Brie's eyes lit up excitedly, "Of course! I'll meet you there!"

Leaving Christopher in a daze, Brie wandered off to class and entered the room happily. She saw Keiko sitting in the corner talking to some girls and glancing in Mina's direction. She laughed at Keiko's inability to avoid gossip. She never could help herself, but Mina made it personal when she stole Ryo from her at the beginning of the year. Keiko wasn't done throwing her signature flames all over Mina's reputation yet. No one could predict when that would end.

Brie approached her cousin and plopped down in the seat in front of her.

"Keiko, c'mon…are you talking about Mina again?"

"What about it? Sorry, but it's all true." Keiko shrugged, looking cocky.

Brie sighed and began thinking about her impromptu date with Christopher that evening before the party. She suddenly got a brilliant idea.

"So…I think I'm gonna try to...take things further with Christopher tonight." Brie said, staring off into the distance.

Keiko's jaw dropped and she slammed her hands flat on top of the desk.

"What? Seriously? When? Where? How?"

Brie laughed and started examining her pink fingernails.

"He invited me to help him do some research after school…in the library…behind that big bookshelf, right? That's where everyone goes around here…"

Keiko nodded, "Yeah, Jake told me about that spot before."

Brie pulled out her phone and opened her facebook app. She started scrolling through her newsfeed and paused. She passed Jake's latest update and saw a picture of him with Keiko from homecoming.

"Do you _really_ like Jake?" Brie asked inquisitively.

Keiko blushed, "O-of course! Why would I be dating him if I didn't?"

Brie continued scrolling. She came upon Ryo's page and clicked on his name. His profile picture was also from homecoming, but he was standing alone. He was outside of the school against the brick wall they always hung around by. He looked positively gorgeous. Brie showed her phone screen to Keiko.

"So you have absolutely no feelings for _this_ guy?"

Keiko dropped her purse on the floor. She looked around quickly and grabbed Brie's phone from her.

"Why would you say that? People will hear you!"

Brie smiled.

"Now you know how gossip feels from the other side. Poor Mina must be so emotionally _traumatized_ by your nonstop _pestering!"_

The girls laughed. Brie was only half serious, but Keiko should be a little more careful about what she was saying. Who knew what Mina was capable of if Keiko kept it up.

When class ended, Brie hurried to her locker and gathered her things. She could hardly wait to meet up with Christopher. Butterflies were filling her stomach and she felt like she might float. She slammed her locker shut and hurried down the hall.

"Brie!"

Brie heard his voice as soon as she stepped into the main lobby. Her heart fluttered when she saw Christopher's face. He was so unbelievably cute. He pushed his glasses up on his nose and trotted forward to her. She blushed when he grazed her back with his hand and pointed upwards. A little chill flew up from her toes to her head.

"Look! Isn't it a perfect day outside?" He asked, looking up at the clouds through the massive windows on the ceiling.

"Perfect." She swooned, staring at him instead.

Christopher smiled and held out his hand. She took it in her own and felt the warmth of his palm against hers shoot straight into her heart. When they began to walk into the library, she couldn't contain her excitement. She felt like skipping. She held onto him tightly and swung her arm back and forth, looking around at the other girls and hoping that they could see just how lucky she was.

They entered the library quietly. Chris walked over to a table out in the open, the same table that Lace had flipped over before. It now had a lovely chip in one side from where it hit the floor. Brie shook her head at it and kept walking.

"No? Okay…" He said quietly, following her.

She felt her heart begin to race. Was anyone watching them? What if they saw them heading for the bookshelf? Everyone knew what it was for, but yet the school never did anything about it. Perhaps she was being paranoid, she thought to herself.

Just ahead, the massive shelves of older books began. She followed them down to the end of the room where a few tables sat behind the last shelf. She peered around the corner and saw that no one was there. A wide smile spread across her face.

_Score_, she thought.

She rushed to the last table against the wall and sat down. Christopher followed and laughed quietly.

"Why are we all the way in the back? It's kinda creepy back here…"

Brie blushed. She was beginning to think he really didn't know what people did in the back of the library.

"I thought it would be private...you know, so we could get everything done faster and head to Keiko's party."

Christopher shrugged and swung his book bag onto the table.

"I figured you'd get bored just helping me with my stuff, so I reserved us both a laptop. I'll go sign them out."

He got up and disappeared behind the shelf. When she was alone, Brie let out a huge sigh. What was she thinking? Their first kiss at school? Why couldn't she ever kiss him when they were on a date? They'd been on plenty. He'd even been in her room. Why was she such a coward? Maybe waiting until the party was smarter. She was sure that Lace wouldn't hesitate. She wished she could be more like her sister sometimes. All Brie had been able to muster in three months of dating was a few pecks on the cheek, but going further was all she could think about lately.

"I'm back!" Christopher announced happily, scaring her half to death.

"You scared me!" Brie took the laptop and opened it, "Sneaky…"

Christopher laughed. He opened his laptop and stared at the screen.

"So…what should my topic be?" He asked, typing away.

"Hmm…I wasn't sure if there actually was a project to begin with…" She giggled flirtatiously.

He pursed his lips. He pushed his glasses a little further up his nose and squinted. Brie was beginning to think that he truly had no intentions other than doing schoolwork that day. For a popular guy, he was so terribly innocent and pure.

Her mind began to get a little dark. Did he even _want_ to kiss her? Maybe he didn't, and that would explain why they hadn't yet. He'd had so many chances. Was he trying to be polite? Little did he know how badly Brie wanted things to move along. She hated waiting for things that she wanted.

Brie scowled and started typing nonsense on her laptop. After fifteen very silent minutes of clicking away, her frown was quite apparent. Christopher finally looked up and laughed.

"Why do you look so mad? I hate research, too, but you look like you might break the computer."

Brie didn't look up.

"Hey…Brie?" Christopher asked with growing concern.

She stopped typing and huffed.

"What?" Brie answered shortly.

"Are you okay?"

Christopher scooted closer to her and put a hand on her shoulder, but she jerked away.

"I'm just…tired of waiting, Christopher." Brie grumbled impatiently, still not looking at him.

"Waiting? Waiting for what?"

Brie began to drown in the silence. She felt her ears ringing and her heart pounding. She wondered if he could actually hear it. She reached up and touched her chest protectively, grabbing her little skull necklace and twirling it in her fingers. After careful consideration, Brie decided that she would need to be direct if she was ever to get her point across.

She scooted out her chair and turned it to face him clumsily. His strong jawline and gentle concern melted her insides, but she held her stern glare. She peered into his black eyes and grumbled, unable to find the exact words to start with.

"Well, damn…what is it, babe?" Christopher asked, getting more nervous by the second.

Babe? He'd never called her babe before. He'd never called her anything but her name. She felt her stomach do several excited flips and inhaled. The time was now or never.

"I really…want something." Brie whispered hesitantly, looking anywhere but at him.

"What?" Christopher asked.

Someone sneezed, distracting him briefly. He really didn't hear her. She rolled her eyes.

"I want something from you." Brie answered quickly, slightly annoyed.

"What is it? Anything…just tell me." Christopher said sincerely with a smile.

Brie blushed and pursed her lips together tightly. She started staring at the ugly carpet and noticed Christopher's left converse had a hole in the toe. She began examining it and stopped talking.

"Look, if you don't wanna work on this stuff right now…We can sit outside and talk?" He suggested, looking down to see what she was staring at.

Brie felt her chance to be honest slipping. She didn't want to go to outside. She didn't want to go anywhere. She wanted to kiss him on the lips this time. Her palms grew sweaty and her voice unsteady. Things weren't going as she planned. She truly thought it would be easier to tell him.

"I really don't wanna go anywhere." She said quickly.

Christopher re-set himself at the table and faced his laptop, "Okay. Then we won't."

She sensed him losing patience with her. He was just a guy, after all. How could she possibly expect him to understand the game that she was playing?

"I do wanna…do something, though…" Brie continued.

"Like?" Christopher asked, typing something into google.

"Something…to you…"

Christopher turned scarlet red. He slowly turned his head to face her.

"Something…_to_ me?" Christopher repeated, shocked.

Brie sat forward anxiously. She looked up to check for cameras, but for some reason there were none above them. It looked like there used to be one in the corner, but it was pulled from its home and thrown away. She suspected it was a senior prank one year to rid the corner of the library of prying eyes. She couldn't be more grateful in this moment.

"Yes." Brie answered, pushing her laptop to the middle of the table slowly.

"Well…like what?" He asked, pushing his laptop away as well.

Brie licked her lips.

"Something…we've never done before."

Christopher gulped audibly.

"O-okay…"

She leaned forward and firmly planted one hand on Christopher's leg. He scooted his chair until it hit hers and placed his hand over hers. His breathing was getting labored. It seemed he was preparing for whatever she might say yet panicking on the inside.

"Christopher…do you…_like_ me?" Brie asked, pausing with her head tilted slightly to the side.

"Like you? Of course I do…"

"I think…I more than like you…" Brie continued.

Christopher's mouth hung open.

"Y-You do?"

"Yeah…"

They began leaning closer. Soon, Brie could feel the warmth of his skin on her face.

"Do you…" Brie began, but Christopher reached up and put a finger on her lips to silence her.

He held his finger there and looked like he was trying to muster up some courage. He took a deep breath in and locked his eyes onto hers.

"I think I know what you want…"

Brie's heart did about five hundred backflips. Christopher continued.

"I'm sorry I haven't given that to you yet...I guess…I'm nervous…I've never…kissed _anyone_ before."

Brie's eyes opened wide. He was getting closer to her face.

"I wanted you to be my first kiss…I was always too afraid, though…"

He slowly lowered his finger from her lips and moved his hand to her cheek. He cupped the back of her head in his palm and threaded his fingers through her light blue hair. Brie closed her eyes. The fiery sensation that shot through her body shocked her. She could feel him slowly moving forward. His nose grazed hers. She felt his hot breath on her lips. Finally, his dry yet soft lips met her recently wet lips like a magnet. They held themselves there for what felt like an eternity. Something deep inside of her was breaking, like her self-control literally running for the hills.

Brie reached both of her hands up and felt the sides of his face. He'd shaved recently, so his skin was smooth and only slightly stubbly. She broke off from the kiss and stayed still, lightly brushing her lips against his.

She pulled his face towards her for another kiss. His lips were still dry, so she carefully licked them and pressed her own, wet lips even harder against his. This seemed to light a fire under him. He scooted forward again and wrapped his arms around her back. One of his hands slipped up her top in the back and onto her bare skin. She gasped slightly.

"Oh…" Brie whispered.

"Hey…we're in a library…gotta stay quiet, babe…"

Brie giggled as his lips returned to hers and kissed her tenderly. She could literally stay in this one place for the rest of her life, kissing him and loving him. She didn't need anything else. He was the life force that she needed to feel alive. With everything going on in her life, the tragedy in Japan, the move across the ocean, her undeniably crazy sister…it was all worth it for him.

"At the party tonight…can we…do this again?" Brie asked sweetly.

"At the party…in the hallway…_everywhere_…yeah…" Christopher laughed.

Later that night, Brie sat on her bed staring at her screen while her friends bustled around getting ready for Keiko's party. Brie was shooting people in a game, but her mind was in a much less violent place. Her mind was floating around an image of Christopher kissing her in the library. Her imagination was pushing it further. She had a hard time stopping their kiss earlier, but where would they be the next time? When would they need to stop?

She turned around and looked at her black and pink comforter. She ran her fingers over it and set down her controller. She stretched her little body out and caressed her cheek against the soft blanket. What was happening to her?

She inhaled slowly and felt his touch on her back. It was electrifying. She rolled over and imagined him there kissing her. She exhaled slowly and felt a spark in the pit of her stomach. She inhaled again and closed her eyes, imagining his hands running down her sides. She levitated off the bed and let herself wander off into a world all her own.

"Brie?"

Brie snapped awake and dropped onto the bed. She sat up quickly.

"Yes?"

Her door opened and Bibii peeked inside.

"Rez is out front waiting." Bibii said, "We gotta get Lace ready if she's gonna go. She's all mopey in her room."

"Ugh, so much for my hair, then. Rez is gonna make us ride in the bed of the truck like always. Let's go and get Lace ready." Brie groaned.

"Hey, what do you think of this outfit? Too much?" Bibii asked, twirling around.

Brie noticed Bibii's chest and felt a little envious.

"Ugh, you look so hot." Brie sighed.

She stared down at her own chest and frowned. She always wished her breasts were bigger, especially compared to her sister's. She hopped up and looked into her vanity mirror. She squeezed them together, but even then she had nothing but a tiny line of cleavage.

"Is that what you're wearing?" Bibii asked, blushing from the compliment.

"Yeah, do you like it?" Brie smirked, striking a pose.

"If I wore that, I'd look like a prostitute." Bibii groaned, "Looks perfect on you, though."

Brie's neckline plunged all the way down to her belly button, but stopped short of revealing it. Her tiny skirt covered only the essentials, but her leggings took care of the rest. Her long sleeves ended in a sea of bracelets on both wrists, mostly decorated with metallic skulls. She slid on her high-heeled boots and checked herself over one more time.

When they arrived at Keiko's, Brie noticed that they were the first ones there. She hated being first. She rose up and straightened out her skirt. Rez held out his hands to help her, but she declined. She always felt a little weird about Rez, mainly because he seemed to be very attracted to her. While he was attractive himself, she much preferred Christopher. She was attracted to his silly, shyness above anything else, though Rez was too tall. Christopher was just the right height for a tiny girl like her.

Inside, Brie sat on Keiko's couch and watched the aquarium. Was Christopher going to arrive soon? She knew he had to hitch a ride with someone to get there, but he should be there by now. She buried her face in her crossed arms and tried to ignore the babble from the others. Keiko's brothers, the infamous twins, were running around the basement with them and causing everyone to wish they'd chosen another spot for the party. Finally, the doorbell rang.

As the twins ran up the stairs, Brie felt her stomach do several flips. He was here.

"Seth!" Lace squealed.

Brie giggled at first, but when she saw Seth's snobby face with a small frown in return, she wanted to slap him. He walked over to Lace, but before she could get to him, Christopher approached her.

"Wanna shoot some pool?" Christopher asked excitedly.

"Yes! Let's."

They walked across the large basement and into a gaming area. The floor was expensive stone and cold on Brie's bare feet. She giggled and danced across the floor on her tip-toes, grabbing the rack. She started setting the balls inside of the triangular shape, but paused when Christopher moved behind her. He gently placed his hands on her waist.

"What are you doing?" Brie giggled.

"Just admiring the sights." Christopher answered softly.

Brie turned around and grabbed a cue from the rack on the wall. She dropped the bottom by her feet and held onto the top, smiling at her newly-forward boyfriend.

"What's up with you tonight, huh?" Brie asked.

Christopher peered up at her from above his glasses and advanced towards her, pushing her up against the edge of the pool table. He grabbed another cue from the wall and returned to staring straight into her eyes.

"Let's say I get something if I win…"

Brie blushed, "Like what?"

"Another kiss?"

"All that for a kiss? Why don't you just kiss me right now?"

Christopher looked around at their friends and returned to Brie.

"I'd prefer to work for it…"

Brie smirked and turned around. She lifted the rack and stalked around the table looking for the best angle. When she found it, the game began.

"Damn!" Christopher exclaimed after her third successful hit.

Brie grinned and laughed loudly, twirling around happily. Christopher dropped his cue to the floor and leaned on one end. He watched her and sighed.

"You are so beautiful."

Brie stopped twirling and ran over to him. She clung to his shoulders and planted a kiss on his cheek. He gasped and pushed her away playfully.

"Make me work for it, remember?"

"Why?" Brie asked, still giggling.

"Because it makes me feel…more worthy."

Brie stopped laughing and got serious.

"Worthy? What do you mean by that?"

"I mean…how did a guy like me end up with a girl like you?"

Christopher picked his cue back up and quickly moved to hit a ball across the table. He smiled and cheered when it fell into the hole, but Brie was still standing with her eyes wide. Her mouth was hanging open and her eyes glossed over a bit. He set down his cue and walked over to her.

"Hey, don't take it too seriously, babe. I meant it as a compliment."

"But…don't put yourself down like that. You aren't allowed. That's not okay." Brie answered sternly.

"Oh…I'm sorry. I mean, I was just talking…I dunno…"

Just then, Brie felt something strange. She spun around and saw Keiko do the same. She rushed over to her cousin and grabbed her arm. Keiko peeked through the door that Seth and Lace were standing on the other side of.

"What the…" Keiko whispered.

Seth was crouched down and looking up nervously. He was saying something to Lace but they couldn't hear anything over the music. The others were happily dancing and talking.

This was a ki they'd never felt before, and a powerful one at that. Brie wondered if they'd have to cut the party short, but what would they say? Was the energy they were feeling about to attack?

"What should we do?" Brie asked quietly, peering over at Christopher, who stared back curiously.

"Just wait…let's see what Lace does…it looks like Seth can see it…he's reacting just like she is. It's weird…almost like he can feel the ki, too." Keiko said, squinting her eyes curiously.

Something about Keiko's suggestion didn't feel right. See it? Why would anyone let themselves be seen with that kind of ki? She thought about it and wracked her brain for an explanation. Only one thing made sense, but the thought literally made her laugh out loud.


	13. Chapter 13

One year before moving to America, the Son family was living a happy life in Tokyo, Japan. They'd relocated there from West City five years prior. A new, larger branch of Capsule Corp opened up in the heart of the city just after Trunks declared Bra the official co-president of the entire company.

Bulma, retired yet never finished working, was doing new research at Tokyo University that involved the use of electro-magnetic energy. Lace liked to watch her work from afar, but sometimes Bulma would let her join in. It was becoming apparent that Lace had inherited the hyper-intelligence of her grandmother.

By the age of fifteen, Lace was on her way to becoming a brilliant engineer worthy of the Brief legacy. She was working in Bulma's personal lab after school every day in addition to keeping up with her intensive training and schoolwork.

Vegeta often interrupted what he called "pointless" work sessions with Bulma to pull Lace out for training. Bulma never protested too much. She knew it was for the best. Lace needed the strength to control her powers, both of the body and of the mind.

One particularly rainy day, Bulma was testing out the magnetic force of an experiment interacting with the growing storm outside. Lace was beyond excited to join in and couldn't wait to see what would happen. Their hypothesis was solid and the research suggested a completely new way to harness energy. She bounded out of the school building a whole two hours early and hopped on her bike in the pouring rain.

The rain smelled so good that day. It was unusual for such a busy, bustling city. She breathed in and smiled as the cool rain hit her face. Flying would feel even better, but she didn't feel like being a saiyan that day. This was a human day, as Lace liked to call it. She wanted to be just like Bulma and focus on the science.

When she reached the laboratory, she dropped her bike to the ground and ran to the door. Lace burst inside and ran down the long hallway, swiping her key card on two solid metal doors.

Inside, her older cousin Cody and Bulma were both wearing their lab coats and standing over something that Bulma was soldering. Cody adjusted his safety goggles and smiled when he saw Lace run over to grab her gear.

"This is going to work, guys! The storm…it's perfect. I can't wait to try it out with you." Bulma declared with excitement.

"Cody's gonna help?" Lace asked happily, sliding the goggles onto her eyes.

"Of course! This whole experiment was my idea, Lacey." Cody bragged.

Lace felt a little shocked. She had no idea that he'd come up with the magnet idea. He was too busy with college to work when Lace was there to contribute very much. Perhaps he was working with Bulma during the day? He'd never mentioned it before. Lace suddenly felt a little jealous.

"I thought we were going to test it on me…why does Cody have to do it, too?" Lace asked through slanted eyes.

"You're both going to wear these at the same time. My theory is…the magnetic core will cause a reaction when you join those powers of yours together. I think this will help us understand your power better…If it works, I should be able to control how much you can or can't exert during training! A lot less work for me in the end since I've rebuilt the gravity room so many times lately…"

Bulma continued her explanation, but Lace stopped listening. She peered around the edge of the table and saw the small devices. They looked like they would hook onto their arms. They also looked like they might hurt a little. If something went wrong, they could really cause a shock in the rain. Lace gulped and placed a hand on the table to steady herself. She was extremely nervous all of a sudden.

"Hey…it's gonna be okay. I won't let you get hurt out there." Cody assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder, "It's gonna work. I know it will!"

Lace felt a little awkward tension building between them and shrugged away from Cody. He snickered at her, making her feel even more flustered.

"Okay! It's ready!" Bulma shouted, holding up the two arm devices and twirling, "Let's put these things on!"

Lace held out her arm and watched Bulma strap the metal cuff-like device in place. She felt the magnetic energy surge through her body and gasped. Bulma giggled and patted her on the back before moving on to Cody's. He also seemed to be shocked by the current, but smiled reassuringly. He didn't appear the slightest bit nervous.

Bulma nudged them towards the exit doors. They headed back down the hallway and outside, where Vegeta was standing silently against the building. He was soaking wet from the rain, but he didn't seem to mind. He approached them with his arms crossed and examined the devices.

"These…things…should increase your powers and control them. Our goal is to harness that raw energy inside of you both so that you can better control yourselves and truly unlock your own abilities. Let's begin."

Vegeta shot backwards and burst into golden flames. Lace readied herself. She knew he always came at her first.

"Heads up!" Cody hollered playfully.

Vegeta's speed was unrivaled. He spun through the air and landed a punch on Lace's crossed forearms. She blasted backwards and hit the brick wall behind her, but felt herself stop. She looked up and saw that they were in some kind of protective barrier. There was no doubt in her mind that the brick walls around them were reinforced by something impenetrable. Silly Bulma, she thought. Always looking out for the university to minimize damage.

Cody went for Vegeta next and landed a powerful kick, sending shockwaves through the air that Lace heard echoing for miles. She clenched her fists and hollered. She pushed the energy that was held latently in her body outwards, bursting into a ball of pink fire. Her blue hair spiked, making her braid float slightly above her shoulder. Her eyes were a glowing shade of magenta that made her look as angry as a rabid dog.

She felt the energy shift within her.

The magnetic force flowed through her body and intertwined with her power. She didn't feel rage like she normally did. She didn't even feel upset. The usual state of mind that made her lose control so many times before was gone. She could train without worrying about actually hurting Vegeta. The excitement was overwhelming.

"Wow, Cody! It works!" Lace shouted.

"Duh!" He shouted back.

Lace kicked into the air and joined Cody in fighting Vegeta. She punched and kicked her way in, taking a kick to the mouth from her cousin and flipping backwards to avoid a devastating hit from her grandfather. Adrenaline coursed through her body. She grabbed Cody and threw him away from them.

"Transform already! You gotta feel this!" She called, dodging punch after punch.

Cody nodded and burst into his own version of super saiyan. He was engulfed in orange and gold flames with a trademark, neon tint. His eyes turned yellow like a cat in the dead of night. His muscles bulged and his smirk turned to a deadly scowl. He loved when he was able to use this form. She saw him looking at his hands from the corner of her eye. She knew he was feeling the new control just as she was.

"Stay focused, Lace!" Vegeta growled, punching her twice in the jaw.

"I am!" Lace shouted, punching him in the stomach.

Vegeta drew back to catch his breath. She beamed proudly at her own accomplishment.

"Okay, let's do this. I gotta know what this is gonna do when we join…" Cody said at her side.

He held out his hand. Her heart fluttered. Touch was the only way to join their powers into their ultimate form, but they'd barely survived the last time. Lace had only been a small child and saved her entire family from the ruthless breed of saiyan that they'd been spawned from. They escaped with their lives intact, but swore never to join their powers again. Only recently, when Bulma began her research, did they decide to try this all over again. She shivered thinking that Cody was the one to first suggest it. Why did he want to try it again so badly, anyway?

"I'm ready." Lace announced triumphantly.

She grabbed his hand tightly. Instantly the power was overwhelming. They both screamed as their bodies burned in mixed-colored flames. It was too bright for Vegeta to see. He shielded his eyes and laughed maniacally, proud of his niece and nephew's miraculous transformation.

She felt a rush like she'd never felt before. Power harnessed and controlled in her heart, like she could demolish anything that stood before her. She turned her head and saw Cody in a white hot light. His already-light hair glowed and his pale skin glistened. He looked into her eyes and smiled the warmest smile.

Suddenly, the light began to flicker. She coughed and grabbed her chest.

"Cody…something…doesn't feel right."

She felt her stomach pulling. Her mind was coming unhinged. Cody squeezed her hand. He grunted like someone had punched him in the gut, gasping for air.

"What's…happening?" He exclaimed.

"I can't let go!" Lace screamed.

Their hands seemed to be glued together somehow. She began to panic and shook her arm violently, but she couldn't release herself from his powerful grasp. Pain began to surge through her arm. She felt her fingers being crushed. Cody's eyes met hers. He was terrified. She inhaled, but before she could speak, an explosion erupted.

Lace snapped out of her flashback. Goosebumps raised on her arms and she shivered, rubbing her sweater. She looked around. She was still standing in Keiko's backyard. Seth was staring at her with a confused expression.

"You…really had no idea..." Seth whispered in a disappointed tone.

"B-but…how? How are _you_ a saiyan?" Lace asked, shaken up from the sudden flood of memories.

"Um…I was born this way…just like you? That's kind of a dumb question…" Seth answered sarcastically, taking out a cigarette and lighting it.

Lace wracked her brain. How was this possible? How did he know that she was a saiyan, too? Was this the reason she was so drawn to him even when he was a complete jerk to everyone?

"W-when did you know about me?" Lace demanded.

"I wasn't sure, exactly. Our first kiss…something felt different, but to be honest I wasn't sure until you hopped off of your freaking roof with a broken leg without giving it a second thought. Then when you kissed me in that aquarium place…I just knew. I knew you were like me. I've never met another person like me before…I thought our race was wiped out years ago. My parents always told me that we were the last of our kind…" Seth admitted sadly, kicking a pinecone with his foot and tapping cigarette ash onto the ground.

"Then why would that be your first thought? Why would you think that I was a saiyan? I never showed you my powers…you don't know anything about that part of my life!"

Seth smirked and sighed. He approached Lace with a confident swagger and wrapped his hands around each side of her waist. His silver eyes traveled down to meet hers.

"Honestly…all I had to do was look into your eyes."

Lace blinked and looked away. She was so terribly self-conscience of her eyes, but then something clicked.

"Wait…that night in the city…that super saiyan…_you_ saved me…you didn't find me like that…it was _you!"_

Lace backed away from him quickly with her mouth hanging open. She recalled the loud yelling, the man licking her neck before he was about to rape her and then the brutal fight that ended the monster's life. Seth had been that powerful saiyan. He was a super saiyan, too.

Seth took another drag on his cigarette and narrowed his eyes.

"Now do you get why I was a little pissed that you had no idea who saved you?" Seth asked, "I guess I figured you would have at least suspected…"

"Holy shit, Seth! This…this changes everything!" Lace squealed, waving her arms around, "You're not just a saiyan…you're a super saiyan! You're…ruthless! I saw you rip that guy's arms off!"

Seth sucked his teeth and frowned with a typical, cocky frown.

"I would do it again. Nobody puts their hands on my woman and lives to talk about it."

Lace felt a different feeling run through her body. She stared at Seth's serious eyes and watched his face grow stone-cold. What if she upset him in the future? His ruthless nature might overtake him again. Would he always treat her like the princess that she was? Or would he turn on her in a split second? She couldn't be sure now, but she knew she owed him a little gratitude at the very least.

"Thank you…for what you did. You saved my life. You deserve that credit. Once I tell my dad that you're a saiyan…"

"_No!_ You're not telling anyone anything." Seth coughed, shaking his head.

"What? Why?"

Seth's cold eyes looked up at the sky. They lingered there for a while before returning to Lace. He breathed in deeply.

"Because no one from my past…that knows what I am…knows that I'm still alive."

Lace frowned, "What the hell do you mean by that?"

Before Seth could answer, the glass door slid open. They turned and saw Keiko peering out at them. Lace automatically walked over to her.

"Lace!" Seth groaned.

"I…I can't have this conversation right now..."

Lace felt overwhelmed. This was all too much information for one night.

"Are you okay out here?" Keiko asked, looking up at the starry sky.

"Yeah. Yeah, we're fine. I don't know what that energy was out there, but it's gone now. Weird, huh?"

Lace passed by Keiko quickly and walked inside. Keiko gave Seth a concerned glare before following her cousin back inside.

To Lace's surprise, the party was still alive and thriving. More people had shown up, making it less awkward and easier to disappear into the crowd. Lace looked around and saw Brie sitting on Christopher's lap, laughing and flinging around a beer. She was drunk. It looked as though he might be, too. Rez was taunting them about something. Jake and Chai were sitting near them, too, laughing and watching the show.

Still flustered, Lace found a bottle of Vodka someone brought sitting on the counter and poured it into a solo cup. She began chugging it down and poured herself another within seconds.

"Hey! That's underage drinking!" Keiko giggled from behind her.

"I so need it right now." Lace groaned.

"Why? What happened? He get a little too hands on? I'll fuck him up…"

"No! But hey…whats' up with you and Jake? Back together and handsy as hell I've noticed." Lace diverted.

"Yeah, I thought we might…I dunno…I thought he would probably spend the night so I've been kinda freaking out a little." Keiko admitted, tapping her beer bottle on its side with her perfectly manicured nails.

"And here you and Brie were pushed _me_ to get laid...seems like the two of you have a much better chance of _that_ tonight." Lace sighed, pouring a third drink.

Lace turned her gaze to another group of people by the aquarium wall. She saw that Chai was now talking to a girl wearing a blue dress with long, light-brown hair and Bibii. The girl turned around and smiled at some friends. Lace gasped. Her eyes were a stunning shade of silver like Seth's. She was beautiful. Lace pulled on Keiko's arm, causing her to spill her beer.

"Who is that girl?" Lace asked.

"What? Ugh, you got beer all over my boobs!" Keiko groaned.

"Please don't tell me you have people here that you don't know…"

"What? Of course I do. Lace…I'm like, a friggin celebrity! It's not like I can control who wants to come to the cool kid parties."

"I've never seen her before…does she even go to Ramison?" Lace asked, rolling her eyes.

"I don't know! Go ask Chai, I think they're friends. I'm gonna go change my shirt now…thanks!" Keiko pushed Lace away and laughed.

Keiko started up the stairs. She tripped a few times, prompting Jake to follow after her. Lace felt a little jealous. Seth was still standing outside ignoring her. quickly, taking a protective stance. Ryo looked shocked and held up one hand, using the other to cover his eyes.

By the time Keiko and Jake returned back downstairs, Lace was talking to the silver-eyed girl and Chai happily, but feeling more drunk than she had in ages. She was waving her arms around and being very loud. Keiko approached her but noticed Christopher and Brie making out on the couch. She gasped and rushed past them with a hand blocking them from her sight. Rez caught her eyes and gave her a drunken thumbs up, laughing.

"Yo, where's your bathroom?" Lace asked as Keiko and Jake approached her.

"It's upstairs…you know that…are you okay?" Keiko laughed.

"This is my new friend. This is…shit…what's your name again?" Lace asked, throwing an arm around the girl.

"A-Ava! Nice to meet you!" She laughed, holding out a hand to Keiko.

"Hi!" Keiko responded, shaking her hand.

"Yo, I'm gonna find that bathroom, mmkay?" Lace exclaimed.

She wobbled towards the stairs and Keiko ran to help her, but Seth arrived and held up a hand.

"I've got this." He said firmly.

"Are you drunk, too?" Keiko asked seriously.

"No. Haven't been drinking." Seth responded, equally serious.

"Oh, um…okay." Keiko responded, feeling awkward.

Seth held on to Lace as she fumbled up each stair. She wasn't making much progress. After a few missteps, Seth scooped her up and carried her the rest of the way. He headed for the front door.

"What're you dooooing? Put me dooown!" Lace giggled.

"No. I'm taking you home. You're drunk." Seth growled.

"I'm nooot."

"You are."

The cold air hit Lace's skin and caused her to shiver when he stepped outside. Before she knew it, they were high above the house and flying towards the city.

"Hey, I live the other way!" Lace pointed.

"I'm not taking you to _your_ house…are you fucking crazy? Your dad would kill me. We're going to my place."

Lace felt her eyelids getting heavy. She couldn't keep herself awake. She drifted off to sleep as Seth flew through the sky, holding onto him tightly.

Sometime later, Lace woke to the strong smell of coffee. She snuggled up to the pillow next to her and smelled the distinct smell of some type of cologne. This wasn't her pillow. She felt dizzy and a little nauseous. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw a digital clock that read three in the morning. Why did she smell coffee?

She sat up and rubbed her throbbing head.

"Here, take these." Seth said softly, holding out two ibuprofen with a sweet smile.

"Thanks…" Lace answered reluctantly.

She swallowed the pills and took a sip of the black coffee he'd offered her. She sat silently for a few seconds, feeling the pounding headache throb against her skull. Suddenly, she realized where she was.

"Seth! What the fuck? What am I doing here? Is this your parents' house? What about my parents? How did we get here? Oh, my God!"

Seth laughed and shook his head.

"Well, like I said earlier, your dad would kill me if I brought you home three sheets to the wind."

"Yeah but what about your parents? Did they hear us come in? Did I make a fool of myself?"

"Just drink some coffee, don't worry about that." Seth said softly.

"It's three in the morning…why would I wanna drink coffee right now?" Lace whined.

"You really need to sober up."

"Why bother?" Lace grumbled.

"Because I need to tell you something important. I didn't realize you'd get plastered tonight…"

Lace got a strange vibe from the urgency in his voice. She began sipping the hot coffee reluctantly. Seth got up from the edge of the bed and walked over to a small kitchen just feet away. He hunched over the counter and looked to be in deep thought. Lace regretted drinking so much. Maybe she freaked him out.

"Seth…I'm sorry to make you do this. I'm not usually so careless...I don't know what I was thinking."

Seth stood up straight and sighed.

"What exactly are you sorry for?" He asked.

"For being a bitch to you. You were honest with me and I…I overreacted. It sucks and I'm sorry I'm like that." Lace said sadly.

"But I like you that way."

Lace's heart did a little flip, but she still felt awkward.

"I should've acted…differently. I should've been more mature. You shared something pretty personal…I reacted badly." She sputtered.

"I didn't really expect you to react any other way. I was surprised you didn't hit me actually."

"Hit you?" Lace giggled and took a swig of the coffee, "I would never…"

Seth chuckled and began rustling around in a drawer. He returned to the bed with his own mug of coffee and a crumpled picture. He sat down and stared at the picture for a while, but eventually he turned and handed it to her.

The picture was burned around the edges, but it showed a picture-perfect, happy family. The mother and father were beaming proudly over their four children, all of which looked just like Seth. The only little boy in the picture had to be him. She recognized his slanted eyes and dark red hair.

"Is this your family?" Lace asked softly.

"It was. Yeah."

"Was?"

Seth sighed heavily. He looked at the floor and seemed pained. Lace waited patiently for an answer.

"That's my mom and dad…and my sisters…"

"What happened to them?" Lace asked curiously.

"In that bathroom at Chai's tournament, I told you that I lost someone close to me. Well…I lost several people."

Lace gasped.

"It was a fire. I was at Hak's house…He was my nextdoor neighbor. That's how we got to be best friends, anyway. He lived there with his dad. When the fire broke out, we heard the alarms and woke up. Hak's dad ran right over there and tried to save them…I saw him grab my youngest sister first. Hakosu was holding me back on the sidewalk…there was this explosion…no one made it…"

Lace felt the urge to cry. The soft side she'd hoped to see more of from Seth was hitting her like a brick wall to the face. He was honestly in pain as he told her his story.

"I'm…I'm so sorry…" Lace whispered, "That night in the alley…I should've been more careful…that was the last thing you needed to deal with."

Seth turned his head slowly towards her. His eyes were serious, but pained. No tears flowed from them. Only pain.

"No one will ever touch you again. I will make sure of that. When I found you…and that huge saiyan had you pinned against the wall…licking you like a fucking animal…hurting you…I had to kill him… and when I killed him…it felt good. It felt like justice, I guess. I couldn't save my family, but I will never let something like that happen to someone I love again."

Lace felt refreshed by his honesty. She'd seen death. She'd seen the wrath of a saiyan in pain. She'd also seen the destruction her own powers could cause. She understood him better than he probably thought that she did.

"Seth...I'm just so sorry…" Lace whispered.

He leaned towards her and stroked her cheek with his fingers.

"For what? Why are you always apologizing?"

Lace swallowed some coffee and blushed.

"For your pain…I just want to take it all away. I hate seeing you in pain."

Seth sighed and hung his head towards the floor. His strained expression softened slightly and he began to speak.

"I'm scarred. I'm damaged goods. But…that's who I am…and I'm okay with that, I guess."

Lace felt her heart leap forward in her chest. Something snapped into place. Everything made sense. She jumped up and grabbed his shirt, pulling him to her and letting her mug tumble to the ground.

"Seth…" Lace cried, nuzzling into his neck.

"Woah…Y-yeah…" He answered, embracing her tightly against him, a little surprised.

"I wouldn't want you any other way. I want all of you. I want the bad and the good…I want you to know that." Lace said, beginning to cry softly.

Seth smiled and closed his eyes. He rested his chin on her shoulder. She couldn't contain her emotions.

"Never let me go…" Lace added, squeezing him tighter.

"Never." He answered.

He pulled just far enough away from her to look into her eyes and stroked her cheek lightly. She felt him exhale onto her skin. Her eyes began to glaze over. When his lips finally met hers, she felt her entire body ignite. His hands pulled at her sides, slowly warming up to her. She felt herself losing control. The drunkenness she'd felt was gone. It was replaced with passion and need to experience everything with Seth.

"Never." Lace repeated back to him with her eyes still closed.

He slowly laid her back onto the bed and laid down beside her. They continued to kiss and hold each other tenderly, like they never had before. It wasn't long before she felt him turning up the intensity and growing more aggressive. Lace shivered, feeling a burning need inside of her heart like a white-hot dagger stabbing at her insides. A poignant desire to make him hers overtook her. She kissed her way down to his neck and felt him do the same. He grabbed at her back and dug his nails into her through her shirt. She felt a little silly, as she hadn't experienced such bliss before. Was she supposed to keep kissing his neck or was she supposed to move back up to his mouth? He interrupted her thoughts by grabbing her backside and squeezing tightly.

"Ohh…" Lace moaned.

Seth breathed out. His hot breath rose visible goose-bumps on her skin. He reached up to the shoulder of her sweater and tore it down, ripping it in half down her arm.

"Lace…I love you. I'll always love you…" Seth breathed heavily, lightly brushing over her skin with his teeth.

"I…I love you, too…" Lace answered, numb from the passion.

In a split second, a warm sensation spread from her neck down to her toes. She felt his teeth break her skin. What was he doing? _Biting_ her?

She gasped, but soon felt a satisfying relaxation spread through her veins. She couldn't understand the urge, but she wanted to return the strange gesture. She had to. Her teeth ached and her mouth fell open. Something was overtaking her. It was going to happen.

She searched out his collar bone and kissed her way up just a bit. She sucked gently on the place she'd identified as his weak spot, nuzzling him for a moment. When she felt that he wasn't releasing her from his own bite, she bit down on him in return. A primal feeling drove her to the edge of her senses as his skin melted away like chocolate and the taste of blood filled her mouth. Her mind wanted her to stop. This was wrong, she told herself. But something else told her that she _couldn't_ stop.

Instantly, the room ignited into golden, saiyan flames. Their mouths released from their powerful bites. His hair spiked into golden darts and his silver eyes turned bright green, like glowing balls of jade. At the same time, she felt her own body fill with power. Her own pink flames engulfed his and intertwined into a hot, peachy color. She felt her eyes fly open as her pupils dilated. She could see the reflection in his skin. They were completely pink.

The surging power felt good inside of her empty shell of a saiyan body. She'd been without full power since the attack and its return was like eating after a week of starvation. She felt her skin crawling with excitement. Seth ran his hand down her arm and marveled at her appearance. He'd never seen her as a saiyan woman before. The transformation was memorizing.

"My God...you're incredible..." Seth gasped, staring at her, "Those eyes…"

Lace already knew that Seth had experience. He dove towards her like a heat-seeking missile, confident and ready. Without another word, he ripped open her shirt and tossed it aside, revealing her sexy, black bra. Lace gasped. Should she do the same? She grabbed his shirt and tore it down the center, bringing his perfect, sculpted chest into the open. He was glowing with pride as she admired his body. He knew he looked good. She loved that.

With a swift hand, Seth grabbed the top button of her jeans and tugged it loose, taking the zipper with it. He slid them off and kicked her boots off with them.

"Damn…" He whispered.

Lace's choice of underwear clearly excited him further. He moved downwards and growled happily, biting the side of her thong and tugging on it, letting it snap back into place against Lace's skin.

"Wow…these are hot…were you expecting something tonight?" Seth asked with a smirk.

"Shut up." Lace giggled.

Lace sat up and grabbed Seth's jeans with similar force and tore them down his powerful legs. He was wearing boxers, but they were doing little to hide his excitement. It sprung forward as soon as she pulled his jeans past it. Lace couldn't help herself.

"Wow…"

"Yeah, you know it." Seth responded proudly.

She'd never seen one before. She'd seen them online, through ridiculously inappropriate searches she wished she hadn't typed into her laptop, but seeing one in person was so different. It made her stomach feel floaty and excited, yet she was curious and unsure how to handle it. Still smirking pridefully, Seth pushed her back on the bed and crawled on top of her. He began tearing at her bra with his teeth and caressed her breasts violently. Soon, he reached back with one hand and released the clasps easily. When they bounced free, he tossed the bra to the floor and went straight to licking and sucking them without reserve.

"Woah..." Lace moaned.

"You okay?" He asked.

"I...I don't know what to do..." Lace panted.

"Here..." Seth wrapped her legs around his torso, "Keep them like that."

Seth pulled her up from the bed and walked forward until they were against his bedroom wall. He pushed her up and slammed against her, still forcing her to keep her legs around him. He started slowly at her neck, licking the wound he'd made, moving down past her breasts. He let her legs go eventually and she felt her feet gently touch the floor. His tongue had moved onto her stomach and he was holding her hips firmly. He took the sides of her thong in his fingers and slid it down slowly, revealing everything. She felt a little nervous, but the passion of the moment was carrying her through. Was she really naked in front of Seth?

She felt the familiar nervousness she'd felt with Cody, but she hadn't been nearly as exposed with him. Seth made her feel so raw and animalistic. He was the definition of ruthless in all meanings of the word.

Soon, his lips met her in a place she'd never been kissed before. She squirmed and called out, but Seth reached up and pushed her back in place with his open hand. His expert tongue moved around and teased her excitedly. She was sure he'd done this before, but she didn't care.

"Seth…I think…I can't..." Lace moaned.

"Oh, no you don't."

He stood back up and pressed his whole body against hers. He kissed her tenderly, tilting her chin up to meet his soft lips. She felt his excited member against her and shivered. What would he do next? When she began to catch her breath, he stopped abruptly and grabbed her sides. He turned her around and threw her onto the bed.

"Stay with me baby...don't let go so early, now."

Lace wasn't sure what he meant, but he didn't give her much time to consider his words. He climbed on top of her and let her slide off his boxers with her toes. Her long legs stretched all the way down, dropping the boxers to the floor. Their naked bodies felt hot to the touch. Their flames continued to burn brightly, illuminating the room. This was the moment she'd been waiting for. She idly wondered what people walking by would think when they saw the flames in the window. Would they think his room was on fire? She got suddenly rigid worrying about someone calling the fire department. Her father was sure to show up.

"Are you ready?" Seth asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"For what?" Lace asked, breathlessly, still worrying about everything but what was about to happen.

Seth smirked.

He jolted forward and slid inside of her.

"Oh!" Lace exclaimed.

It was happening. This was it.

Excruciatingly slowly, Seth backed out and re-entered her until his stomach was touching hers. Lace squealed and gasped for air. He began moving faster. In and out, like when she'd slept with Cody, but it felt differently than before. It felt so intense that she wasn't sure how to react. She understood now why sex made people so crazy. It was worth the insanity.

"Faster!" She moaned, unsure of what else to say to heighten the already unbearable pleasure.

"Not yet." He answered, turning her over onto her stomach, "I don't know if you're ready yet."

"Yes…Yes, I'm ready...wait, for what?" Lace answered.

"You are? Oh, well...okay then." He laughed seductively.

"Holy shit!" Lace screeched.

The pleasure twisted around and jolted Lace into a place she'd only dreamed of. He slammed into her and thrust back and forth, pushing her further and further into his pillows. Her screams were muffled by the blankets, but his were not. His vocal moans made her even wetter, sending her to an even higher place.

"You…can't…finish…yet…" He said between thrusts.

"Finish? How?" Lace screamed back, unsure of what he meant.

He stopped and flung her back around. He climbed on top of her again, placing both of her legs on his massive shoulders. He angled himself perfectly in line with her and began moving rhythmically. She felt her eyes roll back in her head and screamed.

"Seth! Oh, Seth!"

He groaned back, equally satisfied by the decadent feeling.

"Fuck!"

He grabbed his headboard for support and clenched tightly.

"Oh, God!" Lace moaned.

She felt her muscles begin to rapidly pulsate around him. He gritted his teeth and continued his ruthless pace. His head tilted back.

Lace felt her body going numb. Her muscles pulsated around him and her fingers tingled. She screamed out, unable to hold herself back.

"Yeah...Me, too…Holy fuck!" He answered through his teeth.

Together, the release was spectacular. He emptied his soul into her as she spiraled up into the clouds and tumbled back down. She felt her body convulsing around his as she fell, totally numb to everything else. All her troubles and her pain was gone. Only a perfect, wonderful feeling of bliss remained.

He let her legs fall to his sides and rested his hands against the wall. He panted heavily and swung his head to get his bangs out of his eyes. She could taste her sweat trickling down her face.

"I fuckin love you." He gasped.

Lace crawled out from under him and propped herself on her knees. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed the tip of his nose.

"I love you, too."


	14. Chapter 14

The next morning, Lace awoke completely naked in Seth's bed. She felt slightly embarrassed, but noticed rather quickly that Seth was equally as naked. She smiled and blushed, pulling the covers over herself and hiding in them. Seth stirred slightly, but stayed asleep. His hardened face looked so peaceful and relaxed. She watched him and snuggled up to his chest. She felt the warmth from his skin on her cheek and shivered blissfully.

"Mmm…Morning, beautiful…" Seth whispered, half asleep.

"Morning." Lace answered shyly.

Seth smiled and rolled over to face her. He gathered her up into his arms and buried his face in her messy, blue hair. Lace felt her heart bursting with love. She could never get enough of him. He was intoxicating.

"I'm gonna get a shower." Lace said, brushing her fingers through his hair.

"Mmkay."

Lace stretched out her arms and legs. She was definitely sore from her workout the night before. She felt a twinge in her neck and reached up instinctually.

Panic washed over her. She felt tiny little teeth marks in her neck. She quickly pulled her hand away and noticed a small amount of blood on the tips of her fingers.

"Holy crap, Seth! You bit me!" Lace screeched.

He barely moved, snickering slightly.

"Yeah, so?"

Lace's eyes grew large.

"I d-didn't know you were into stuff like that!"

"I'm not…we _mated_, Lace…"

"_Mated?_ Ew, that sounds gross! I've never heard anyone call sex mating…ew."

Seth opened one eye and peered at her curiously with a furrowed brow.

"No, like…_mated_…"

Lace covered her face, flustered and embarrassed.

"What the hell do you mean? Can't you just call it something else? Anything else?"

"It's a saiyan thing, Lace." Seth said flatly, closing his eye again.

"It is?" Lace gasped.

Seth groaned and opened both eyes.

"Saiyans mate, Lace. It's just what we do. If we're lucky enough to find our mate, that is."

"You've…you've done this before?" Lace squeaked.

Seth gasped. He looked offended and frowned deeply.

"Of course I haven't! How could I mate with you if I'd done that before?"

Lace felt silly. She really had no idea what he was talking about.

"Sorry, it's just that I've never heard of…m-mating…before!"

Seth sighed and sat up, leaning against his headboard.

"When a saiyan meets their soulmate…and they…ya know…do it…they mark each other by biting the neck. It's kinda special. Like…you only do it once in your lifetime, Lace. You can't do it more than once."

Lace's mouth hung open for a few seconds before she spoke.

"They…do?"

Seth laughed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Damn…don't you know anything about our species?"

"Species…" Lace whispered, wondering if he even realized how different she was from him.

"I guess my parents always made a big deal about saiyan culture and shit. Like, I always knew what mating was…just never how it would happen. I was a kid, ya know…they didn't go into a lot of detail, but I knew about it because my parents were mated and explained how rare it was back in the day."

Lace was completely shocked. Had her mother and father done this? A bite to symbolize a mating ritual between saiyans? How could her mother fail to mention something like this?

"So…what's this mean then? We're like…soulmates or something?" Lace laughed nervously.

Seth cleared his throat and looked straight at her, narrowing his eyes and lowering his gaze.

"Yes."

Lace grabbed her head.

"Holy fuck." Lace exclaimed.

Seth laughed at her and rolled out of bed, revealing everything. Lace hid in her hands. He turned around to face her and crossed his arms.

"Well, damn, Lace…you kinda already saw everything. No need to hide from me."

Lace peeked her eyes out from behind her fingers and turned beet red. She examined his perfect body and felt her own body quiver, as though he'd physically touched her with his eyes.

"I know, it's just…oh…it's…ah…"

Seth laughed. He turned around, still baring it all, and headed for the little kitchen area. He pressed a button and turned on his coffee maker. She watched him sift through different flavors until he decided on one and popped the little cup into the machine.

"You drink a lot of coffee, don't you?" She asked.

"Well, it is the morning now…but yeah, I do. Probably…four or five a day at least." He answered, pouring some water into the back of the machine.

Lace laid her head back down onto the warm pillow completely bewildered. She snuggled into it and again pulled the covers up to her chin. She could stay there all day. She had no worries nor a care in the world about getting in trouble with her parents.

"Hey, Lace…" Seth began, watching the coffee brew, "Do you remember that terrorist attack in Japan last year? Were you there for that?"

Lace felt her blissful, post-coitus happiness shatter into a million pieces. She felt her heart stop. Her skin paled. She inhaled sharply and held her breath. She couldn't speak.

"Lace?" Seth asked again.

She hid under the covers. How could he know? Why would he ask her about it?

"Lace…what's wrong?"

Lace slowly peeked out and saw him rush over to the bed. He looked genuinely concerned.

"W-well…yeah…I was there…" She stuttered.

"I'm sorry if you don't wanna talk about it. I guess…you saw some shit, huh?" He suggested, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

There was a long pause. Lace debated on how honest she could be with him. Even with his admittance to their weird saiyan bond, she could still send him running for the hills.

"It…It wasn't a terrorist attack."

Seth frowned, looking confused.

"What do you mean? It was all over the news here…I mean, I lived in another state, but I saw all the reports about Japan. A bomb hit TokyoU, right?"

"No…not a bomb…" Lace whispered, muffled by the blanket near her mouth.

Seth pulled the covers away from her mouth and gave her an exasperated sigh.

"Just tell me, Lace." He said firmly.

"It was…it was me…and Cody…but mostly me…"

Seth's eyes practically popped out of his head.

"What do you mean it was you? You set off a bomb?"

"No!" Lace exclaimed, almost laughing at his response.

"What then?" He demanded, looking desperate.

"Seth…I'm…not like a normal saiyan. My parents are both half-breeds, yeah, but…I was born different." Lace began, feeling anxious.

"Different?" He asked curiously, "Oh…yeah I guess pink isn't a normal color for a super saiyan…I thought it might be like…something to do with the mating. So you always turn pink in your super form? That's kinda dope."

Lace nodded anxiously, "Yes. It's a mutation. It's a long story, but…I have trouble controlling my powers sometimes. My grandma made this device that attached to my arm. We were trying to test it and see if it could help me control myself. It worked at first…but then…"

Lace trailed off. Seth leaned forward eagerly. Lace gulped. It was the first time she would say it out loud. The lies and the protection of her family was all about to end. She was going to deal with the worst part of her life once and for all. She opened her mouth slowly, but Seth spoke instead.

"So…It was you…you killed all those people…You were the terrorist…" Seth whispered.

Lace choked. She thought she would cry when she finally heard it, but she didn't. Relief flooded over her.

"Yes. I did. It was an accident…I mean, I thought we had it…the power…it was just too much…"

"We?" Seth asked.

"Yeah…Cody was born like me. Or rather, I was born like him. We're the only two saiyans on Earth with that same power. He liked to call it Rage Mode. We get so…angry. It's the most intense feeling you could ever imagine…almost always it ends up leveling the surrounding area. That night you saved me…I tried to fight back, but something drained all of my power. I knew that it was already weakened…since Cody and I were in that hotel accident downtown. We could unleash our powers by combining them, but now since he doesn't remember me, I guess that bond was broken."

Seth frowned. He shook his head slightly and stared into space. She realized he was jealous. She'd forgotten about his possessiveness.

"I haven't seen him in weeks, Seth."

Seth relaxed slightly and exhaled.

"Well…I'm sure your great-grandfather would be proud of your powers."

Lace was shocked. How did he know about her great-grandfather?

"What?" She asked nervously.

"I mean that you did what saiyans have been doing for generations. I know who you are, Lace. I know where you come from. I know about planet Vegeta…planet Sadala…I know how our whole race was wiped out by Frieza. Back then, you would have been hailed a hero to our people for exploding in the middle of a city. It's scary, right?"

Lace covered her mouth. He was right, but she'd never thought of it that way.

"What…family are you from? Were your grandparents on planet Vegeta at some point?"

Seth smiled.

"Yeah. They were a part of the royal counsel to King Vegeta. They were warriors…like everyone, really, but they were very powerful and even more ruthless. They were the equivalent to this small task force Frieza got together…the Ginyu force? Yeah, I think that's what my dad called them. Anyway, they acted in the same way but stayed with the king most of the time. My father was the youngest saiyan ever to command a black ops type force that would go in and assist a saiyan who couldn't complete their mission. He came here with my mother and several other soldiers when this guy…uh…Kakarott couldn't complete his mission to destroy the Earth. But by the time they got here, planet Vegeta had been wiped out and they had no home to go back to. They decided to live here and forget their mission, especially since they couldn't even find the dude they were looking for…they started families…some with humans, others with the other soldiers that were here with them."

Lace couldn't believe his story. They were linked in ways she could never have imagined. She could only form one question before anything else.

"Seth…Why aren't you bothered by what I did, though? I killed thousands of innocent people…college students…professors…the whole university was destroyed. Why doesn't that bother you?"

Seth sighed. He looked up at her inquisitively. The sun was shining through his window and onto his strong face, making him look almost angelic. Lace felt her stomach do its usual back flip. He was so handsome.

"People do things that they don't mean to do. People kill people…it can be an accident, but it happens. I killed someone for you. I've killed other people in battle before, too. Our power is hard to control…when no one understands how you work."

"But you know so much about being a saiyan! You had your parents…"

Seth stopped her and interrupted.

"I _had_ them. They died when I was eleven, remember?"

"Right…I'm sorry…" Lace whispered.

"It was…an accident. Like I said, it happens. People die. You just have to move forward."

As Seth's cryptic message sank in, he got up and pulled on some boxers from his dresser drawer. He started to return to the kitchen, but a knock on the door startled them both. Keiko's voice rang out through the thin walls.

"Lace! I know you're in there! Open the goddamn door before I break it down!"

Seth laughed and looked back at Lace. She was pale and panicked. Keeping the blanket around her, she rolled off of the bed and frantically ran around looking for clothes. She realized quickly that he ripped her only shirt.

"Take one of mine, babe." Seth offered, pointing at his dresser.

She nodded and grabbed the first one she could find. She pulled on a pair of his shorts, too, making her look hilarious.

"Geez, why'd you have to go and rip my shirt?" Lace whined.

"Hey, she's a saiyan, too, right? You're cousins…I'm sure she's not exaggerating about breaking down my door. Let her in."

Lace grimaced. She ran to the door and opened it slowly. Keiko and Brie both stood angrily on the other side. Brie looked like she might faint at the sight of her sister under a boy's t-shirt, but Keiko was unaffected.

"Listen, you…" Keiko began, pointing at Seth and barging into the room, "I'm covering for her ass right now but her parents will be awake any minute! If I don't get her back…in my car…that Rez is driving because I don't have a license…then we're all dead!"

Seth laughed, continuing to stir creamer into his coffee.

"Keiko…I think I should tell you something important." Lace said, sitting down on the bed.

"Oh, shit…are you pregnant? Dammit, Lace!" Keiko assumed, causing Brie to look like she was going to die.

"What? No! Oh, my God!" Lace gasped.

Seth took a sip of coffee and held up a hand to Keiko.

"Ah, fuck it. I'm a saiyan, you guys are saiyans…we're all saiyans. Boom. Truth bomb." Seth said, still in only his boxers.

"_What?_" Brie and Keiko said in unison.

"Damn. I guess I really was good at hiding it, huh?" Seth laughed, starting up the stove and setting down a pan.

"How? What? Why? How did this happen? A saiyan? There's no freaking way!" Brie squealed.

"Would you guys keep your voices down? I have neighbors." Seth growled.

"What about parents? You're just allowed to have a girl in your bed?" Keiko snapped.

Lace wanted to shove a sock in Keiko's mouth, but Seth didn't seem bothered.

"I live here by myself…this is a studio apartment? No parents. They died when I was eleven. Hak's uncle owns this building so we both live here rent free."

Brie and Keiko looked humiliated for even bringing it up. Seth took some eggs out of the refrigerator and began to crack them into the pan.

"Want some?" He asked casually.

"Okay…regardless of all the crazy shit that you just said, we gotta get Lace home! I suppose you know that flying would be faster…but if your powers are gone…I mean, damn…I'm not carrying you if you're not wearing any underwear." Keiko frowned at Lace, "Plus Rez is sitting out there waiting in the car."

"Oh…uh, my powers…they came back." Lace admitted.

"What? How?" Brie asked excitedly, "That's so awesome!"

"From me. We mated last night, I guess that just brought them all back. I was the missing puzzle piece, dammit." Seth joked, flipping two eggs in the pan.

"_Mated?"_ Brie and Keiko said together, horrified.

Lace wanted to die. She'd never been so embarrassed in her life.

"Okay, this is way too much for me. Let's go, Lace." Keiko demanded, throwing her hands up and stepping over Lace's discarded bra carefully.

Lace got up from the bed and followed her pushy cousin and sister. Seth poured the eggs onto a plate quickly and rushed over to her.

"Hey, hold on just one second…"

He grabbed her arm and spun her around against his bare chest. Keiko scoffed.

"I'll see you later, right?" He asked.

Lace blushed, "Yeah…we can meet up later…"

"I love you." He said happily, still holding onto her tightly.

"I…love you, too…" Lace responded, redder than she'd ever been in her life.

"Ew! Let's go, you freaks! Oh, my God!" Keiko grumbled.

Lace backed away from Seth and followed the girls reluctantly. Seth stood in the doorway smiling and waving. Too much had happened the previous night. Lace needed to process everything, but knowing Keiko, she probably wouldn't get much time to do it alone.

After Lace had gone, Seth decided to head out for a morning run. He stepped out into the front yard area of his apartment building and took a deep, clarifying breath. It was still early morning and birds were chirping happily. The sunrise was a deep, beautiful orange. He smiled. Something felt different inside of him. He felt genuinely happy for the first time in a long time.

As he began to walk forward into the chilly air, he hid his hands in his pockets and kicked a rock in front of him. He watched it skip ahead on the sidewalk and realized he couldn't stop smiling. It wasn't because he'd just had sex. He'd done that before with a couple of different girls. This was something more powerful. It felt like a fire was burning brightly inside him, but only he could feel it. Only he could benefit from its satisfying warmth and guiding light.

He began to jog. He passed by an elderly couple walking their dog. They smiled, bundled up in too-heavy coats and scarves. Seth chuckled and waved at them with a small nod. He briefly wondered if that's what he and Lace would look like one day. That day would be far off, as saiyans didn't age nearly as quickly as humans did, but it would come eventually now that they were together forever.

He shook his head. Forever, he thought with a little nervous shiver.

He continued along, feeling the chill of winter peeking in. The sun was burning brightly in the sky now. The clouds looked a little dark, like it might rain later on. He enjoyed the rain. He only hoped he'd be home before it started.

Though he preferred to fly, jogging provided a different kind of clarity. Running through nature and watching the regular, human people wandering about brought him a sense of humility. He wanted to be like them. He wanted to be normal, but Seth's life was anything but normal.

After his jog, he walked up to a small building across from the one he lived in. He pulled open the door that led to a staircase and heard a baby crying through the paper-thin walls. He stopped and listened as a mother comforted the baby and a father started complaining. His voice rose and the woman began to shout back. Seth shuddered and closed his eyes. He continued up the stairs trying his best to drown out the sound of shouting.

When he reached a tattered door with the chip in the middle, he tapped lightly on its surface. He watched the peep-hole. Beside him, a little girl opened the next door down and peeked out. She had a small, white blanket in one hand and was sucking her thumb. Seth smiled and waved, but the little girl continued to stare quietly.

"Hi…what's your name?" Seth asked sweetly, kneeling down to the girl's level.

She stared back at him with giant, black eyes. She turned to look inside the apartment and another pair of onyx eyes peered from behind the door. A little boy, identical to her.

Seth felt his heart plunge to the pit of his stomach. His heart wrenched. The little twins stared up at him innocently. He felt his breathing quicken. He stood and backed up until he felt the railing stop him. The two children hurried back inside and shut their door quickly.

"Seth?"

A voice startled him from his brief panic attack. He looked up with tears in his eyes and skin as pale as a ghost. Hakosu motioned for him to enter quickly.

"Hey…hey, it's okay…I'd hoped you wouldn't see those little ones. I knew they'd bring back memories. How are the attacks lately? Seemed like you were doing better there for a while…"

Seth shook his head and covered his mouth as Hakosu placed a comforting hand on his back. He struggled to keep composure and threw himself down on Hakosu's couch. He covered his eyes in shame and tried his hardest to stop his bottom lip from quivering. Why couldn't he control himself in these types of situations? He was a saiyan, after all. He shouldn't be so weak. Lucky for him, Hakosu had become a pro at talking his best friend out of his panic attacks.

"Seth…you know talking helps. Please talk to me. I'm listening." Hakosu said softly, taking a seat in an old, beaten up recliner across from the couch.

Seth leaned forward and picked up a mug from the coffee table in front of them. He started drinking it, but quickly stopped. He quickly returned Hakosu's cold coffee to the table and shook his head.

"I was going to tell you good news for once. I was happy when I got here. I don't know what's wrong with me, man." Seth admitted, "And that coffee tastes like absolute shit."

"Well, it's old…didn't expect you to come over or I'd have already made a new pot. But regardless, I'm here for you, bro. You don't have to hide stuff from me. I know you better than you know yourself sometimes, dude." Hakosu said with a small chuckle, "It's kinda scary, right?"

"Tch. Scary. Yeah." Seth scoffed.

"C'mon, man. Tell me your good news, then."

Seth hesitated. He rubbed his eyes and threw his legs off the edge of the couch. He sat up and leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on one hand and tracing an imaginary circle with the other on the cracked coffee table in front of him.

"Lace…she came home with me last night." Seth began, still staring at the floor.

"More like you dragged her home with you. I saw you leave together. I'm glad you made it home okay." Hakosu laughed, relaxing a bit.

"Something happened, Hakosu. Something…I really didn't expect."

Hakosu raised his eyebrows.

Seth's lips formed a straight line. He breathed in nervously.

"I mean, it's not even about the sex. It was something else."

Hakosu turned red and gasped, "Y-you slept with her?"

"Hell yeah I did…you did say you knew me well, right? You didn't think that I would?" Seth spat with a cocky attitude.

"I guess I thought she wouldn't. She doesn't come off as the type to…I don't know…"

"Jump into bed with an asshole like me?" Seth suggested, smirking.

"Well…yeah…if you want to put it that way."

Seth stood up and rubbed his eyes. He yawned and started walking over to Hakosu's kitchen.

"Coffee's in the first cabinet…" Hakosu said, checking his phone.

Seth dug around and found some ground up coffee beans. He frowned.

"Why don't you just get a Keurig already? Who still uses a fuckin' regular ass coffee maker?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I don't have a whole lot of money just laying around." Hakosu joked.

Seth ignored him and started the coffee maker up. He rested both hands on the counter and began contemplating how he could best phrase what he needed to say. He wanted to tell his best friend what happened, but would he understand?

Hakosu found out about saiyans and everything to do with Seth's family after the fire. He knew some of the weird customs and actually found it pretty interesting most of the time. But would he understand the complex saiyan mating ritual? He wasn't sure if Hakosu's kind nature could stretch quite that far. Still, Hakosu was the closest thing to a therapist Seth could ever truly have. He had to get it off of his chest.

"So…We did something before we…you know. I mean like right before. It was super intense and like...really weird." Seth began, unsure if he was using the coffee maker correctly.

"Look, I don't really need the dirty details. If you're happy, I'm happy." Hakosu laughed, waving his hand around awkwardly.

"Nah, it's not like that. It's…a saiyan thing."

"What? Did you tell her?" He gasped.

Seth smiled.

"Yeah…yeah, I told her at the party. It's why she got so drunk. But besides that…I thought maybe she and I had this special thing, I don't know. I told you a long time ago about the saiyan mating ritual, right? Like…how it only happens to saiyans who find their soulmate?"

Hakosu gasped, "Like…the biting thing? That's…that's real? I thought you maybe made that up when we were kids…"

"Nah. It's real. Really, really real." Seth sighed.

Hakosu stood up and began pacing around. He rubbed his chin inquisitively.

"Didn't she find it odd?"

"Well, that's the thing…" Seth began.

"Wow. If she was okay with that…I wonder if Bibii would be okay with me kissing her yet or not…"

"Ha, don't bet on that. You guys are never gonna seal the deal." Seth teased, pouring a cup of coffee for himself.

"I don't care about that. I care about her, that's all that matters to us. I'm just curious is all…Do you feel different? Like…what happened?" Hakosu's voice rose in excitement.

Seth set down the mug on the counter and thought for a few quiet moments.

What felt _different?_

Everything was the easy answer. The air smelled fresher, the grass looked greener, the sky was bluer, everything was better than it was the day before. His heart was complete. His life was full. Everything he'd ever wanted was finally found. Everything but one thing.

"I told her about the fire…about me…but I didn't mention…her…"

Hakosu sighed. He looked disappointed to be back on a morose topic, but shrugged it off and continued with it.

"I suppose that makes sense. I know it's difficult for you to talk about it."

"There was an energy last night...It felt…familiar. I was so afraid that it was her I couldn't breathe. I know she's out there. I know she's waiting…"

"Seth, when will you accept that she is gone?" Hakosu asked solemly.

Seth's mind began to wander back to the night everything changed. The night everything fell apart while young, eleven-year-old Seth expected absolutely nothing.

He was fast asleep on Hakosu's family couch. They'd been up playing a card game, but both passed out after a few hours. It was a typical night for the two friends. Seth was dreaming. He could hear a beeping sound, but he couldn't find the source. It was driving him crazy.

Suddenly, Hakosu's father came bounding down the stairs loudly and shouting. He told the boys to call 9-1-1 before running out the front door in a panic followed closely by Hakosu's mother.

Hakosu sat up rubbing his eyes, "What's that noise?"

Seth turned his head to look out the living room window. His body went numb. The beeping sound _was_ real. It was coming from next door, where his family slept.

"No…" Seth gasped.

Flames had engulfed Seth's family home into an inferno. It was out of control. No one was outside, meaning his family had to be trapped inside.

In a panic, the boys charged out of the door. Hakosu's father ran right into the burning home without a second thought, leaving Hakosu's mother to keep the boys outside.

"I gotta help! Let me go!" Seth begged, beginning to grow frantic.

"No, you can't! You could die in there!" Hakosu's mother gasped, "We have to call for help!"

Seth struggled away from her. He ran to the front porch and saw Hakosu's father picking up an unconscious little girl, Seth's youngest sister. He began to call out to her, but a huge explosion blew Seth backwards.

When he woke some time later, he was in a pile of rubble across the street from his childhood home. Firemen were everywhere trying to control the blaze. Hakosu was being placed onto a gurney and still unconscious. He could see paramedics performing CPR on Hakosu's mother.

"H-Help!" Seth shouted.

His entire body felt like it was scorched. Every breath stretched his burned skin and felt like sandpaper against a cut. He flinched and closed his eyes.

"Hello? Earth to Seth." Hakosu asked, waving his hand.

"S-sorry…" Seth whispered.

"Flashbacks again?" Hakosu asked.

Seth slammed his fists down on the counter and groaned. He turned around and rubbed his head. Why was he remembering the most painful memory he had at a time like this? Why couldn't he just picture the night he'd shared with Lace instead?

Hakosu seemed a bit nervous that Seth was growing uneasy.

"Listen, Seth…if it's going to be one of those days for you…maybe it's best to share it with Lace? I'm sure she'd understand if you just told her about what happened after the fire…"

"No!" Seth interrupted, "No, I can't do that…"

"Why not?" Hakosu asked, frowning and standing his ground.

"The less she knows, the better. That's why."

"It's not that simple, Seth." Hakosu lectured, "You know it's not."

Seth's dangerous temper flared. Hakosu stood back and held up his hands to surrender. He'd seen Seth's fits of rage before and didn't want to deal with it this early in the morning.

"Hey. Calm down. Now." Hakosu warned, "This is my apartment. If you bust it up, you buy it. My uncle is not gonna fix another hole in the wall for free."

Seth gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. His eyes began to flicker between black and green. Hakosu took a protective stance.

"I can't…" Seth growled.

Just then, his phone rang. It was enough of a distraction for Seth's power level to drop. He peered over at the phone he'd left beside the coffee maker and saw Lace's name lighting up the screen. He rushed to answer it.

"Hello?" He asked in a surly voice.

"Seth! Are you okay?" Lace's panicked voice asked in a whisper.

Seth looked dumbfounded.

"Why?" He asked coldly.

"I got this terrible feeling…like something was wrong…I had to make sure that you were okay. What's going on?" Lace answered quickly.

Seth gasped. She could feel him getting upset? He was far from her right now, too far for her to sense his ki.

"Were you just sleeping?" Seth asked, "You sound groggy…"

"Yeah…I was having this dream about you…it was…a nightmare…but then I woke up and I just had to call you."

Seth's eyes widened.

"What was in the dream, Lace?" He demanded.

"It was…it was really morbid. I don't know. A lot of blood…"

Seth dropped his phone. He turned white in fear and slowly looked over at Hakosu, who was still ready for a fight. Seth quickly picked the phone back up and spoke as calmly as he could.

"Stay where you are. I need to see you. I'll be there soon."

He hung up the phone and rushed towards Hakosu's door. Hakosu beat him to it and stood in the way.

"Hakosu, move." Seth demanded angrily.

"Not until you promise me that you aren't going to do anything stupid! I've seen you like this before, Seth…it's never a good thing!"

"I need to see her. I need to know what she knows. That dream…if it was what I was just remembering in my flashback…"

Panicked, Seth ran down the stairs and burst out of the door into the cold morning air. He looked up at the sky. It was black and stormy, ready to pour down on him. Again he felt his heart begin to race and his breathing quicken.

He grabbed his head and fell to his knees. Something was happening. He felt dread fill his body and a cold chill run down his spine. He wanted to scream.

"Seth!"

He looked up and saw someone flying straight for him. He closed his eyes and re-opened them, afraid he was dreaming.

"Seth!"

He stood up and felt the tears begin to form. Was he dreaming again?

"I'm here!"

Lace burst through the clouds like an angel and zoomed down for him. She flew into his arms and wrapped herself around him. He stood limp for a moment, amazed that she'd gotten to him so quickly, but finally melted into her and wrapped his arms around her in return.

He began to cry into her shoulder, sobbing and gasping. Lace held him tightly. The rain began to pour down on top of them. Thunder rang out. Seth slinked down to his knees.

"I'm sorry…Fuck, I'm so sorry!" He sobbed.

"Sorry for _what_, Seth? What happened?" Lace asked anxiously, holding onto him.

"I'm broken. I'm not a good person. I'm not a good brother. I'm…I'm nothing!"

Seth's tears washed away in the downpour, but the pain in his eyes remained. Lace took his face in her hands and looked straight into his eyes. She shook him slightly and began to speak slowly and clearly.

"You are not broken. You saved my life. You…you are my life now! I'm not gonna let you put yourself down."

Seth sniffled. His eyes widened.

"Remember what you told me? We're soulmates…You aren't allowed to think that you're not worth anything…because to me, you're worth everything!"

Seth's heart tore like paper. He grabbed Lace tightly and pulled her against him. He continued to sob into her long, blue hair, but tears of sadness turned into tears of hope. If she could love him without even knowing the demons that haunted him, she would love him if he told her. She could handle the truth, but he would save it for a time when he was stronger. He had to move on with his life and leave the terrible past behind. It was over. A new chapter was beginning for him. That was all that mattered.

"I love you…I love you so much…" Seth whispered, grasping her hair in one hand.

"I love you, too…" Lace answered, nuzzling into the side of his head, "I'm here…I'm always going to be right here…"


	15. Chapter 15

Ice cold rain began to pour down on Lace and Seth from a torrential storm. Thunder boomed while Seth shivered in Lace's arms. She wanted him to tell her what was wrong, but she could already feel that it was something buried deep inside of him. She could feel his loss and his devastating anguish pulling on her heart.

Unsure of what else she could do, she clung to him and stroked his hair, praying that he would snap back into his usual composed self, but he only seemed to be getting worse.

"Lace!"

Lace's eyes jolted up quickly to find Hakosu running towards them.

"C'mon, bring him inside. I thought he'd make it home, but…"

He stared down at his friend and stopped talking. The scene appeared to be far worse than he'd expected. Lace clutched onto Seth even harder.

"I don't know what to do!" Lace cried.

Hakosu sighed and leaned down, placing a hand on Seth's shoulder.

"Buddy, c'mon…we gotta get out of this rain."

"No! Don't fucking touch me, Hakusu!" Seth snarled.

"Hak…usu?" Lace asked curiously.

"Uh, it's nothing. He's having a panic attack, Lace. It just happens sometimes with him. You've just gotta pick him up and drag him if he won't stand up."

Lace frowned, but nodded. She dug her hands into his back and hoisted him up. He was reluctant, but stood up shakily. She placed his arm around her shoulders and began to walk forward, sloshing towards an apartment building in the wet grass.

Once they made it inside of the apartment, Hakosu handed her a towel. She wrapped it tightly around Seth and laid him down on Hakosu's bed. He curled up into a ball and took a few slow breaths. The worst of the attack had passed. He started to drift in and out of sleep rather quickly. He'd completely exhausted himself. Lace kissed his forehead and went out into the living room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

"How is he?" Hakosu asked from his kitchen.

"I've never seen anything like that and I have a cousin back in Japan with epilepsy. He has panic attacks before his seizures that are scary, but nothing like that. It was like Seth's heart was exploding…"

Hakosu shook his head and sighed. He stirred some sugar into a mug of hot tea in the kitchen and brought it out into the living room. Setting it down on the coffee table, he motioned for Lace to take a seat on the couch where Seth had been sitting only a short time earlier.

She stayed by the bedroom door for a moment, listening to make sure Seth was sleeping. She was genuinely worried. Hakosu smiled and again waved her over to the quiet living room. She approached him and sat down, but she hesitated to take the tea. She felt awkward being in a strange apartment belonging to someone she barely knew. Somehow she decided that if Bibii could trust him, she probably could too.

"Hakosu…" She began quietly, "How do you know Seth so well? He…just moved here, didn't he?" She asked quietly.

"It's kind of a long story, but we were neighbors when we were younger. Man, I miss those days…sure was a hell of a lot nicer house than this dump."

Lace looked around. The apartment was dingy and old. He didn't have much furniture, only a couch, a chair and a tv along with the coffee table. Even the light that hung from the ceiling was dim. She sighed. How was it that these two guys lived alone yet she was stuck with her parents for at least another year?

"So…neighbor? You knew him when he was a kid?" Lace asked nervously.

Hakosu smiled warmly, "We're still kids, Lace."

Lace scoffed and blushed. She sure didn't feel seventeen most of the time, but he was right. She glanced towards the bedroom door again, wishing she could curl up beside him instead of sit and talk. Hakosu noticed her pained expression and scooted forward in his chair.

"Look he's been through a lot. I'm not sure if it's my place to tell you about it…I'm sure you're curious."

Hakosu seemed sincere in wanting to keep Seth's secrets, but Lace _had_ to know. She sat up on the edge of the couch and interlaced her fingers. Her Vegeta-like frown proved most difficult to say no to. She wasn't leaving without answers.

"Why'd he call you Hakusu? I've always thought your name was Hak-_o_-su."

Hakosu paused. It wasn't long before her intense glare was enough to break his reserve.

"Alright, fine...I'll tell you, but you've gotta understand this isn't exactly easy for me…" Hakosu sighed.

Lace relaxed. She reached forward and took the mug of tea into her hands and sipped it slowly.

"I guess I should warn you, though…Seth's never outright told me every little detail of _his_ side. I know what happened because I remember the fire…I remember the hospital…but most of all, I remember…her."

"_Her?"_ Lace asked.

"His twin sister."

Hakosu's expression grew serious and grave. He shifted around nervously in his chair, tugging on the neck of his still-wet, red hoodie. Lace felt a horrible tension and dread in the air. He was truly struggling with whatever he was about to tell her.

"Seth's family…was pretty normal. It had its problems, but even so it was pleasant in his house. We used to play outside together and then go inside and watch tv with his sisters. There were so many girls in the house that I got pretty comfortable around girls in general because of them."

"I saw a picture of his family in his apartment." She admitted.

"There was only three girls in the picture, right? She wouldn't have been in it…"

"Why not?"

"Long story short, she was in an insane asylum."

Lace's eyes flew open as wide as they could. She choked on her tea.

"Why? Oh, God…was she a murderer or something?" Lace gasped.

"Not…exactly…"

Lace stared at him. He seemed like he didn't want to answer that particular question. Quickly, he continued with the story and avoided explaining the sister further.

"Anyway, the night we lost our parents…there was a fire. Seth was sleeping over at my house, but when their fire alarms went off, my parents rushed over to help. My mom kept Seth and I outside while my dad ran in to save whoever he could. The fire was bad, though…real bad…"

Lace leaned forward.

"There was an explosion. It killed everyone in the house on impact, including my father. The blast was so powerful that it sent the three of us flying across the street. My mother…she hit her head. She died on the way to the hospital. For whatever reason, both Seth and I survived even though we were both knocked out at the time."

"God…" Lace whispered, "Seth didn't really go into that much detail about it with me…"

"Well, that's probably because of what happened to us after that…"

Hakosu took a moment to compose himself. It seemed the story was weighing on him heavily. She wondered if he'd told Bibii about it yet, but assumed he probably hadn't. He was having trouble finding the right words, like he'd never had to explain it before.

"My uncle was the only relative I had that would take me in at the time. Seth had no family, and to keep him out of foster care, my uncle adopted him as well. He is a building manager for a few apartment complexes…we moved here a while ago, but Seth was always unhappy at my school. He entered some scholarship competition to get into Ramison. He's actually really smart. He won the contest and got a full ride to go to your school for free. Maybe you've noticed he is a little jealous of the rich kids?"

Lace shook her head and held up her hand. She took another sip of tea.

"It all makes sense. All of it…"

"Yeah..."

"So what happened to his sister?" Lace asked curiously.

"Well…she escaped from the asylum."

"What? When?"

"The same night that his house burned down."

"What?" Lace gasped, choking on her tea, "Did she do it?"

"They never determined the cause of the fire. We've never seen her again, either, but Seth has "sensed" her. It's creepy. It happens every now and then. Sometimes he even goes out to look for her, but he never finds her. We don't know where she is and quite frankly, I'm kinda terrified of her. She's not right in the head, obviously."

Lace sat silently staring at Hakosu with her mouth hanging open. She remembered the first time she kissed Seth at Hakosu and Chai's tournament. He'd mentioned losing someone close to him, but he didn't mention that "someone" was his entire family back then. Could he have been referring to his twin sister? This new information explained so much. It explained why he lived alone, why he didn't talk about his family, and why he was so reserved and snarky. He was in pain and grieving over a loss no child should have to feel. Lace felt horrible. Back then, she'd tried to compare Cody losing his memories of her to Seth losing his entire family? What a terrible person she was.

"And about my name…My real name is Hakusu, but since it's so unusual, a lot of people mispronounced it when I was a kid. It drove me crazy. Obviously, Seth loved that and used to call me Hakosu just to frustrate me even more. After the fire, though…it didn't bother me anymore. It began kind of like a nickname. Bibii knows my real name, but she only calls me that in private. I…asked her to keep it to herself. Now I ask you the same. I guess I'm so used to people calling me Hakosu that hearing my actual name…the name my parents gave me…it just…"

He grew quiet. Lace stared at him, waiting for the next word, but he appeared to be done talking. She finally felt the need to speak.

"Hakosu…I mean…Hakusu…you have no idea how much this helps…it all makes sense now…"

She started to get up. She planned to go back into the room and wake Seth. She wanted to take him home with her to her house and wrap him up in her family's love, but Hakosu held up his hand and shook his head.

"Since I oh-so-graciously told you everything…I have a few questions of my own now."

"Oh…o-okay." Lace answered, sitting back down awkwardly.

"You're a saiyan, too, aren't you? How is that possible? Seth thought his family was the only family left of his kind. He thought he was alone in this world…and then you appeared in his life. How is that possible?"

Lace turned bright red and panicked, "What? Who? How? How could you possibly know that?"

"I assumed, but you just confirmed my assumption."

"Dammit! But you're just a human…did Seth tell you about saiyans?"

A deep frown appeared on Hakosu's face and his eyes narrowed.

"I am not a regular human, Lace. Remember that."

Lace gulped and looked at the floor, scolded. Hakosu continued.

"Now, my second question is…how did you know where Seth was just now? You've never been to my apartment before…only Bibii has. I get that you flew here, but how did you find him?"

Lace blinked and realized she wasn't exactly sure how to answer to his question. She thought for a brief moment and decided to give the most honest answer that she could.

"I…felt him. I closed my eyes and felt everything he was feeling. I started flying in the direction he was pulling me in…next thing I knew, there he was. It was like something was calling to me through him. I…c-can't explain it."

Hakosu's face relaxed.

"The mating bite." Hakosu said bluntly.

"Oh! He t-told you about that, too? Um…" Lace blushed violently.

"It's just conversation between two guys. Don't take it personally. It's cool for him. He deserves someone he loves. Now I have a favor to ask of you..."

Lace nodded awkwardly.

"Please don't look at Seth differently now that I've told you these things. It's not that I think he'd be angry, but it'd make him feel…I don't know how else to put this, but less manly. He's very prideful if you haven't noticed."

Lace's nodded nervously. She stood up, intending to put her mug into the sink, but she accidentally kicked the edge of his gritty, old coffee table and squealed.

"This fucking table!" Lace growled.

Hakosu laughed, "Yeah, Seth tells me that all the time, too."

Just then, the bedroom door flew open. Seth was standing in the doorway with wide eyes, panting slightly.

"Lace, I heard you yelling! Are you okay?"

"I'm fucking great!" Lace answered, clutching her toes.

"Oh, did you hit your foot on that damn table? I've told you that you should get rid of that stupid ass thing, Hak. I've done that at least five hundred times over the years." Seth groaned.

Hakosu laughed and began talking to Seth about random subjects. Seth approached them and took a seat on the couch as though nothing had happened. The two were like brothers, instantly happy and connecting even though Hakosu had just seen Seth at his worst. Did Seth even remember what happened? He seemed completely fine.

"Well, we should get going. I'm gonna make sure Lace gets home safe…looks like the rain has let up a bit." Seth yawned, "Besides, I'm getting hungry. You never have enough food here."

Lace hobbled over to the front door, followed closely by Seth. Hakosu bid them farewell and waved from his chair as Seth let himself out with Lace. She followed him down the dark staircase and out into the light again. Seth wasted no time in kicking up from the Earth and taking off into the sky.

"Woah!" Lace gasped.

"Keep up!" Seth snickered playfully, back to himself.

Lace blushed and kept ahold of his hand. She loved the feeling of flying through rain, but flying hand-in-hand with Seth made it even better. Something about the tiny droplets in the clouds hitting her skin was so refreshing, even if they felt like little needles sometimes. She peered over at Seth who was focused and looking straight ahead. He must've felt her gaze upon him and opened his mouth to speak.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. I gotta say…I'm really fuckin embarrassed right now."

Lace felt awkward again. She stared ahead, trying to say the right thing.

"It's okay, Seth. It's what I'm here for. I'll always be here for you." Lace answered quietly, gripping his hand tighter.

"It was the bond right? How you found me? I wanted you so badly…next thing I knew, you were there…I wonder if it will always be like that…" Seth wondered aloud.

"Of course it will! We're like…super magnets. I can find you wherever you are!" Lace joked, giggling.

Seth smirked and sped up, pulling her next to him in midair. She felt her heart swell with love. She was relieved he was feeling better so quickly.

The two saiyans reached the Son household in a matter of minutes. Lace made a split second decision to introduce him properly as her boyfriend to her family and headed for the front door still holding his hand. He deserved that much from her after such a horrible experience. He seemed impressed by her courage and let her drag him along.

"I'm home!" Lace called, opening the front door.

"Lacey! Looks who's here!" Gin squealed from the top of the staircase.

Lace looked up happily, but her face quickly fell into horror. She panicked. What was she going to do? She went rigid and covered her mouth. Not now. Not here. Why?

"Hey, Lace." Cody said confidently with a cocky nod.

"Cody…" Lace whispered.

Seth peered up at the white-haired, hazel-eyed saiyan and smiled.

"Sup, man? I'm Seth. Nice to meet you."

Cody smiled, eyeing Seth in a slightly jealous manner. Lace found it strange. Up until this moment, he'd acted like Lace was no one to him. He really didn't have a right to judge Seth right off the bat.

Below in the foyer, Lace could hear her uncle Trunks and grandfather Vegeta talking. She couldn't believe what she was about to do. Not only had she just introduced Seth to Cody of all people, but now her terrifying uncle and grandfather at the same time? That must also mean that her father was home, making it just that much harder.

"Gin, did I hear you say that Lace was home?" Brie called from the hallway upstairs.

"Yeah, she's down there with a guy."

"A guy?"

Brie bounded to the staircase and peered down.

"Oh, look. Doucheface." Brie frowned.

"Shut up." Lace answered.

"Hey, what's goin on out here?" Trunks asked playfully, walking into the foyer.

Lace and Vegeta made eye contact instantly. He quickly shifted his glare to Seth and then back to Lace. His expression said it all.

"H-hi…" Lace began.

"Hey, I'm Seth, Lace's boyfriend."

Seth walked forward confidently and held out a hand. Trunks happily took it and shook hard, like a typical businessman, but Vegeta refused.

"Tch." Vegeta growled, looking away and refusing Seth's friendly gesture.

"Look who's back! Hello, Seth!" Bra chirped, skipping down the hallway.

"Hey, Mrs. Son." Seth answered warmly, giving Bra a friendly hug.

"Why were you two out in the rain?" Goten asked, finally emerging as well, "Don't you have a car?"

"Dad!" Lace gasped.

"Hey…what's that on your neck?" Goten asked, narrowing his eyes and pointing.

Lace panicked. She quickly reached up to cover her neck. She'd completely forgotten about the bite. How could she possibly have forgotten about it?

"I…well, I…um..it's…" Lace stuttered.

"Lower your hand, Lace!" Vegeta roared.

Lace let her hand fall, ashamed. Vegeta quickly examined her neck and looked shocked. His eyes traveled over to Seth's neck and then back to Lace's. A huge frown grew on his face. He seemed to be boiling with anger. He turned red. Lace started to back away, more afraid of Vegeta than Goten, but she knew better. It was better to face Vegeta's wrath than run from it.

"You idiot!" Vegeta exclaimed before slapping Lace across her face with force.

"Vegeta!" Goten exclaimed.

"Dad!" Bra gasped.

Before anyone could reach Vegeta, Seth lunged at him and burst into his super saiyan form. He landed a punch on Vegeta's cheek so powerful that it knocked him right through the adjacent wall. Bra grabbed Lace up and looked at her cheek while the rest of them stood in complete shock. The reveal was complete.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on her again!" Seth growled angrily, burning yellow.

"I knew it!" Cody gasped, "I knew I felt something off about him!"

"Wait, what's happening right now?" Brie demanded, "I'm like…okay what…"

Vegeta stood up angrily and gritted his teeth. Lace was shocked that he didn't strike Seth back immediately.

"What…what does this mean?" Bra asked quietly, completely pale.

"It means that they mated. There's no going back now. Like dejavu, Goddammit." Vegeta shouted, "You're just like your mother!"

"Lace…what were you thinking?" Bra begged in an exasperated plea, stepping in front of her father, "You have no idea what this means! You're only seventeen!"

"I wasn't…I didn't know what I was doing…it just happened…you never told me that it could happen!" Lace whined, fighting back tears from the slap.

"That's because I thought it was a saiyan thing, so why would I need to tell you? I thought you both had to be saiyans, and I had no idea there would be a random saiyan guy for you to hook up with in this stupid city!"

"Not true, sis. It still happens with saiyan-human couples…" Trunks admitted, looking at the ceiling.

"Ew." Brie groaned, "This is so gross!"

Finally, Vegeta re-entered the foyer after pacing around in the kitchen for a few minutes. He marched up to Seth, who was still standing tall.

"What line are you from?" Vegeta demanded.

"A damn good one!" Seth barked angrily.

"Seth!" Lace exclaimed.

"Show some respect, boy! Do you not know who I am?" Vegeta hollered.

"Dad, just stop!" Trunks sighed.

Seth smirked, "I know who you are."

Vegeta was beyond enraged. He stood his ground and gritted his teeth. Finally, Seth answered.

"My father was Leriac of King Vegeta's royal guard. My mother was Salsi, a high born saiyan. They were on a special mission from the King when Planet Vegeta was destroyed. They settled here on Earth…eventually started a family when they were older…but they're all dead now. It's just me."

Vegeta's mouth dropped in shock. He looked over at Goten and then to Trunks, who both seemed equally stunned.

"Leriac…he was the youngest captain of the special ops guard in saiyan history…h-he was a good man. A proud saiyan warrior worthy of his title. I respected him greatly. He and I were near the same age…"

"Yeah, they were older than the average parent, but it didn't show. As you know, saiyans age much slower than humans…" Seth stated flatly.

"I knew Salsi as well. She was also a valiant warrior. They showed such promise at a very young age. I wasn't surprised when they were chosen to conquer planet Earth, but I thought they were dead when I found out that it never happened."

"Regardless, this mating ritual…you've completed it?" Vegeta grumbled factually.

"Yeah, of course…you think I don't love her with everything I've got?" Seth answered in an annoyed tone.

Lace turned scarlet and stared at the floor.

"Well…that settles it. Pure blood, strong will…a good arm…I suppose we'll arrange the wedding soon."

Vegeta turned and started for the kitchen. Goten shook his head and laughed sarcastically.

"Whoa, Wait, wait, wait. First of all, this is my damn house, Vegeta! You don't get to decide to let this…this…kid that defiled my daughter just waltz around in my house like he owns the place!" Goten yelled.

Trunks nodded in agreement, but Bra looked extremely guilty of the same exact thing around Lace's age.

"We have no choice, Goten. You know it. I know it. The bond is forever…we've been through this ourselves!"

"Woah, now!" Brie squealed, waving her arms around, "Let's not go there, please!"

Bra took Lace's arm in her own and whispered, "Well…at least now I know where you've been sneaking off to..."

"What?" Lace squeaked.

"Lacey, baby…I invented your sneaking out methods. Your mom was way worse than anything you think you've done. Trust me."

Lace shook her head. She didn't need any more images in her head.

"So…does that mean I can…uh…stay for dinner?" Seth asked, rubbing the back of his head, "I'm like…starving."

"_Dinner?_ Really?" Lace asked.

"Sure you can. Let's get to it then. I'm starving, too." Bra smiled.

Lace's mouth fell open, as did Trunks and Goten's. Goten stormed outside and took off into the sky. It was rather normal for Goten to blow off steam that way. At least Lace wouldn't have to deal with him for a while.

When everyone headed into the kitchen, Lace stayed behind. Cody stood alone and frozen, still dumbfounded by everything that just happened. He stared ahead blankly, breathing slowly.

"Cody?" Lace asked quietly.

"What?" He answered shortly.

"I…I'm sorry about tonight."

Cody broke his intense stare into nothingness and looked right at Lace. He noticed the pink rings floating around in her eyes and smirked.

"They tell me…that I used to have those rings, too."

"Yeah, well…yours were yellow."

"Yellow, huh…" Cody said, still awkwardly silent.

"Cody…you still don't remember anything? Nothing at all?" Lace asked, tired of being afraid of him.

"Not faces. Some things I remember, but then I wonder if it's just my mind trying to piece things together or a dream. I never know. I get so angry sometimes, like a caged lion ready to break down the bars, but I just fucking can't. It's like every ounce of anger just disappears. It's so...terribly unsatisfying."

Lace nodded, "I was having that same problem until…well…I guess everyone knows now."

Cody blushed, but quickly laughed awkwardly.

"So I have to...um…mate with someone to my powers back? Okay, well, that's a great pick-up line."

Lace giggled. Cody smiled. For a split second she remembered the old Cody. His warm smile and kind eyes seemed to return. She wanted to hug him and tell him that she missed him, but she couldn't. That part of her life was over. He wasn't the same person she loved once. This was a completely different Cody.


	16. Chapter 16

"That meal was delicious. Thank you so much!" Seth said happily, rubbing his stomach.

"You're welcome, hun." Bra smiled, clearing some plates from the table, "Gin, give me a hand."

Gin popped off of his chair and bounced around grabbing silverware. He paused at Seth's chair and looked at him nervously, but Seth winked and handed him his utensils. Gin smiled and bounded away.

"He likes you. No one has ever stood up to our grandpa like that…" Lace whispered, blushing.

"I guess that's a good thing. I don't back down from a challenge, babe." Seth answered, still rubbing his stomach pleasantly.

Vegeta sat across from them staring patiently with his fingers interlaced and his elbows resting on the table. He seemed to be thinking up some sort of plan to test the young saiyan further. He wasn't angry with Seth striking him in the slightest. He looked more curious than anything.

When Seth made eye contact with Vegeta, he lowered his hands and laid them flat on the table. His usual, ferocious frown turned into a dangerous smirk and he snickered to himself.

_What was Vegeta thinking up this time?_

"Alright. I've had enough of all this small talk nonsense. Let's get inside that gravity chamber out there and see what you can really do."

Vegeta rose up and pushed his chair out quickly, knocking into Bra.

"Dad!" Bra yelled.

Trunks held a hand up to his father and sighed.

"Really dad? Must you do this _now?"_ Trunks grumbled.

The others giggled. Lace briefly glanced over to her father's chair and frowned. Where was he? It'd been an hour. His usual flights of frustration never took this long. He must've been very angry. She dreaded the talk she'd get from him later. She embarrassed him terribly that night. His heart was probably broken.

Suddenly, Seth popped up from his chair and pointed at Vegeta confidently.

"Alright, then. You're on. Let's see this contraption." Seth announced proudly, pushing his chair out behind him quickly.

Cody cleared his throat.

"It's not a walk in the park, you know. It's serious training when you go in there. I hope you can handle that." Cody sighed, taking a sip of water from his glass.

"He's got a good point there." Trunks added, mimicking his son and taking a drink as well.

Seth scoffed and walked away with utter arrogance, leaving his chair out for someone to trip over. Lace quickly scooted it in, but noticed that Vegeta had done the same. Manners definitely weren't their strong suite.

Cody rose up and set his glass down rather loudly. Trunks looked up at him.

"What are you doing?" Trunks asked.

"I've gotta see this punk kid get his ass handed to him when Grandpa goes super saiyan blue…" Cody smirked.

Lace frowned, "You don't know how powerful Seth is, Cody."

His eyes shifted to meet hers dead on. She felt a strange surge inside of her when they locked eyes and stared. She'd never seen him look at her with such a mean expression in her life.

"He doesn't know how powerful grandpa is." Cody answered flatly.

Cody pushed in his chair and walked into the foyer. Lace scrambled after him, partly afraid he'd attack Seth out of curiousity if he was given the chance. She hadn't even gotten a moment to think about his initial impression of Seth. The old Cody probably would've…

_No, don't go there, Lace.__  
_  
They rounded a long hallway and approached a metal door with a red light flickering above it. They both looked up and then looked at each other. Lace grimaced. She missed her training sessions with Cody more than anything in the world, yet here they were entering the chamber not to train, but to watch Vegeta fight her new boyfriend together. What was happening to the world?

Inside of the gravity chamber, Vegeta had already flicked on the lights and was standing over the enormous control panel at the center of the room. He pressed a few buttons as Lace and Cody entered and a massive screen appeared above in the air. Seth gasped excitedly. Vegeta began typing like crazy, adjusting this and that. Lace could tell that he was focused on creating the most difficult environment possible.

Suddenly it clicked in her mind. If this boy was Vegeta's granddaughter's mate, then that made him the heir to the royal thrown that Vegeta was always meant to rule from. If they still lived on Planet Vegeta, or even on Planet Sadala, that would make Seth the eventual king. Regardless of his prior training, Vegeta had to make sure that he was properly trained now to make sure that he was worthy of such a title. Seth probably had no idea that Vegeta was _that_ serious about his training.

"Boy. Stand here. Show me your stance. Let's spar." Vegeta ordered.

Seth nodded and jogged over to Vegeta happily. He pushed one foot forward and the other back, holding each hand in front of him, one at eye level and one at his chest. Vegeta nodded and took his own similar stance.

"When you hear the sound of the timer, you go." Vegeta stated.

"Gotcha." Seth smiled.

Lace and Cody leaned against the wall and readied themselves to dodge out of the way. The sound of a siren blared and Seth covered his ears, startled. In an instant, Vegeta was on him and punched him twice in the stomach. Seth choked and flew backwards grasping his gut.

"Stay on your toes!" Vegeta demanded.

Lace heard Cody laugh at Seth and rolled her eyes.

Seth straightened up but quickly took another hit from Vegeta's monstrous fist. He shook his head and blasted forward. He met Vegeta's arms in a block, but used his left leg to knock Vegeta off balance. He flipped backwards once and then twisted around for another kick, landing it straight in Vegeta's face.

"Woah!" Lace yelled excitedly.

She'd never been able to land a kick so early in the session. Seth's technique was interesting.

Furiously, Vegeta looked up at the ceiling and called out.

"Gravity sequence activate!"

Seth looked up at the several little cameras around the room and noticed them move in sequence. Suddenly, he slammed down onto the floor, cheek to the ground. He tried to push himself up but the weight was unbearable.

"I see how you want to play this!" Seth yelled to Vegeta, "Playing dirty already, are we?"

Cody laughed again, easily withstanding the gravity. Lace didn't feel a change at all. She was a little disappointed to see Seth fall. She wondered what he'd do next.

"C'mon, Seth…" Lace whispered.

Seth took a few clarifying breaths. He inhaled sharply and burst into his super saiyan form. The weight seemed to lift off instantly and he got to his feet. He smiled and took his battle stance again. Vegeta seemed unimpressed.

"Tell me. At what age did you achieve super saiyan form?" Vegeta asked seriously.

"Last year. I was fifteen."

Vegeta smirked. Satisfied, he lunged forward at Seth and began showering him with punches. Seth was a little overwhelmed. Vegeta's punches were the equivalent of a bag of bricks being swung at a person by a crane with the force of a tank. He didn't stop or slow, he only seemed to get more intense with time. Finally, Seth caught an opening and slid out from under Vegeta.

He turned around and slammed his elbow into the back of Vegeta's neck, but it only slowed him for a moment. A swift kick flew around and landed in Seth's side sending him flying into the wall.

"Ack!"

Vegeta laughed and landed on his feet just in front of where Seth fell to the ground in pain.

"You're poorly trained, boy!"

Vegeta sent a ki blast straight for Seth. He rolled and dodged by a thread. He flipped backwards and sent his own blast in return, but Vegeta smacked it away like it was nothing. In a rush of color, Vegeta landed another punch to Seth's chin and then planted a right hook into his cheek. Seth flew backwards and slammed into the wall again, this time denting it outwards.

"I…am…not…"

Seth coughed. He held out his hands and began shooting ki blasts like crazy. Vegeta easily dodged each one midair, finally slashing one in half with his open hand. He rushed forward in a spiral motion and grabbed Seth around the arms, paralyzing him. Lace knew what was coming.

"I'm not weak! I won't lose!"

Vegeta burst into blue flames. He released Seth and allowed him to turn to face him. Seth's eyes grew wide.

"Wow…what is that form?" Seth gasped.

"It's the ultimate goal." Vegeta smirked, "I'm afraid you have a lot of work to do if you ever hope to achieve even close to what this form possesses."

As Seth stared, Lace knew Vegeta intended to strike again. She clenched her jaw, terrified and waiting for the attack, but a beep from the loud speakers rang out instead.

"Vegeta! That's enough!"

Bulma's voice filled chamber. Startled, the two men looked up. Her face was being projected on the center console.

"Bulma! Stay out of this, woman!" Vegeta hollered.

"I'm shutting it down. Get your ass back in this house or I'll come in there myself! Did you think Bra wouldn't tell me about you hitting our granddaughter like that? I swear, you are absolutely out of control, Vegeta!"

Vegeta looked away from the screen like a scolded child, a bit flushed in the cheeks. Cody laughed.

"I guess that means the fun is over."

Vegeta stomped towards the exit and slammed his hand onto the exit button. Cody followed with a smirk spread wide across his face. Lace rushed forward to Seth, who was still in a bit of shock.

"Seth!"

"I'm okay, Lace." He answered, wiping away some blood from his lower lip.

"Gosh, you really took some heavy hits! I guess we're lucky he didn't transform any sooner…" Lace said quietly, checking Seth over.

"I said I'm fine, babe. I'll get him next time."

Back inside, Bulma and Bra sat at the cleared dinner table with Brie and motioned for Lace to join them. They shooed Vegeta and Cody away and the couple took their seat at the table.

"Lacey…your mother told me…about the…" Bulma began awkwardly.

"Oh, my God…really mom?" Lace groaned, completely embarrassed.

Bra began to defend herself, but Bulma interrupted.

"Lace…Your life is going to be different now and you need to understand just how serious I am. I'm a little upset with your mother for not explaining this to you sooner, but now Brie will know for when her time comes. It's…just something you need to know about." Bulma sighed, "I know how you feel, though. Well, at least partly. I didn't know about it until it happened to me."

It was clear to everyone sitting at the table that Lace wasn't a virgin any longer, since mating didn't occur without actual mating. That glaring fact was making Lace feel vulnerable and naked all over again. She hated it. She wanted to get up and run away, but she knew Bulma was trying to help.

"You see, as Vegeta explained it to me years ago…saiyans aren't meant to marry like we do here on Earth. Saiyans only used the other sex for…well, sex. They would procreate together and that was it. However, they would only mate with one other saiyan in their lifetime if they were lucky enough to find their mate. Some saiyans would form a type of relationship, but nothing like a human marriage. It's why…your grandpa might seem a little cold sometimes. It's always why grandpa Goku is so aloof when it comes to your grandma Chichi. It's just not in their DNA to treat us like Goten and your uncle Trunks treat their wives. That's the human in them, definitely not the saiyan."

Lace's eyes grew wide. She noticed that Seth's fists balled up slightly.

_Was he going to be that way?_

Bra seemed to sense Lace's discomfort and reached across the table. Lace offered her hand in response and Bra gripped it tightly.

"What you need to take away from this is that Seth is the only person you'll ever want to be with again. It's your saiyan blood. I think…because he's a pureblooded saiyan…it'll probably be even stronger than the bond I have with your father. It's a little scary, but it's also a wonderful feeling. You'll never be alone, and I'm glad for that, but you need to remember who I raised you to be. You are strong and brilliant. You are still you." Bra said sincerely, choking up a little, "I love you so much, baby…I just want the best for you and I feel like I totally let you down by not talking to you about this…it's just hard, ya know? You remind me so much of myself…"

Bulma put her arm around Bra and comforted her with a warm smile.

"You forget that _your_ mother was just as crazy, Bra. It's the Brief side of the family."

Lace looked over at Brie, who smiled in return with tears in her eyes. It was such a powerful moment that Lace actually forgot that Seth was also sitting there listening to the women. He cleared his throat and shifted forward in his seat a bit.

"I'm uh…I'm sorry that I let this happen. I feel like it's kinda my fault for putting her in that position, I mean, uh, situation not position. Shit. That sounds bad. Um…" Seth's words began melting together as he got redder and redder in the face, "You know, not talking before it happened and just um..."

"We get it, Seth." Lace spat quickly, feeling like she might die.

Vegeta re-entered the room and headed towards the refrigerator. Bulma wiped the tears from her face and began scolding her husband. Bra joined in angrily.

"Dad! What were you thinking? Were you trying to kill him? He's family now…as weird as that is to admit…You know that was too much for him! He's a kid!" Bra screeched at her father.

"Too much? The boy needs to be properly trained." Vegeta shrugged.

"You are not the one to do it, Vegeta!" Bulma pointed, coughing.

Bra and Vegeta both stopped arguing and focused on Bulma. She sat back in her seat and took a moment to compose herself, but her complexion paled slightly.

"Are you okay mom?" Bra asked, "Let me get you some water."

"I'm fine, Bra. Really."

Lace curiously examined Bulma's face. The old woman with light hair tinted blue was suddenly sitting slouched over the table and looking very frail. She seemed like she didn't feel very well.

"We need to get going home…c'mon, Vegeta." Bulma grumbled.

She started to get up from her seat and Vegeta quickly rushed over to help her. He wrapped one arm around her waist and they headed for the front door. Bra quickly scurried along and opened the front door for them both.

"You'll let me know when Goten gets back? Just text me. I worry about our boy." Bulma asked Bra with a smirk.

"I will…I'm sure he'll be back soon. Marron's been texting that Keiko is out who knows where…I think we should be more worried about her than we are about Goten. Trunks and Cody aren't having any luck finding her."

Bulma laughed, "Now you two know how I felt all those years ago when you were out sneaking around."

Vegeta groaned.

"Alright we're going, we're going. Love you, hun." Bulma kissed Bra on the cheek.

"Night, mom and dad. Love you, too." Bra said sweetly before shutting the door and turning around quickly, "Lace…where the _hell_ is your dad?"

"Uh…I don't know…." Lace shrugged.

"I'm actually getting worried. I'm gonna go see if I can find him…I'll be back. Wait…can I trust you two alone?"

Lace and Seth both stared at Bra awkwardly. Lace peered up and saw Gin sitting at the top of the stairs peeking down at them.

"Can I come, mom?" Gin asked shyly.

Bra sighed and nodded.

"C'mon, Gin. We'll be back. Stay downstairs. And Brie…keep an eye on these two."

Gin happily ran down the stairs and out the front door with Bra, who turned and gave them one last warning look while Brie rubbed her hands together maniacally. Bra shut the door behind her and the house fell dead silent. Lace felt instantly worried that Seth would leave and she would be left alone with Brie. She didn't want to talk about anything with her sister at the moment.

When Bra was clearly gone from the vicinity, Brie approached the two in the foyer and sighed loudly.

"So, I'm going out with Christopher, mmkay?"

Lace groaned, "If you aren't back before mom, she'll kill me _and_ you!"

"Whatever. All eyes are on you right now, not me, so like…I'm gonna bounce." Brie shrugged.

She walked straight out of their front door without another word. Just like that, Lace and Seth were completely alone.

"So…today was intense…" Seth said with a sigh.

"Tell me about it…thank you for being so amazing with my grandpa. He's crazy."

"Amazing? Your grandpa kicked my fuckin ass."

"He kicks everyone's ass." Lace laughed, punching Seth's arm softly.

"Not helping."

Lace blushed and giggled, quickly planting a kiss on his cheek.

Seth smiled and reached out for Lace. He pulled her closer to him and brought her into a tight embrace. His nose touched hers. He reached up and brushed away a piece of hair from her cheek.

"Okay…that helps…a little…" He smirked.

The familiar spark Lace had grown to love ignited. She felt her body begin to heat up and go numb to the world. The only feeling she felt was the tips of his fingers tracing her back gently. He was slowly moving his hand up the back of her shirt. A slight tickle began nagging at her, beckoning for her to jerk away quickly.

"Oh!" Lace squealed, jumping slightly.

"Hmm…do you like that?" Seth asked, drawing his fingertips even lighter over her back.

"Mm…" Lace mumbled.

"How about this?"

Seth took his other hand and brushed her long braid back from one shoulder. He took her neck gently in the palm of his hand and brought his lips to her skin. She shivered. He began kissing her ever so lightly, sending small shocks over her each time.

"How's that feel?" He asked, pausing and breathing hot air on her neck.

"Ah…" Lace moaned.

Seth wrapped his hands around her and hiked her up so that he could wrap her legs around his waist. He looked up the stairs.

"Your room is up there, right?" He asked, returning to kissing her neck.

"Y-yeah…"

"Perfect."

He started ascending the stairs with ease, holding Lace in his arms. They kissed violently, mashing faces and smacking lips. She was getting very excited, but nervous. She'd never been with a boy alone in her room before Seth saved her on the night of the attack downtown. He seemed to remember exactly which door was hers and headed straight for it.

He opened the door and pushed her inside. They stopped against the wall on the other side of her walk-in closet. He pressed against her and continued feeling up and down her sides with his powerful hands. He was growing more and more eager. The hand that had been softly tracing her back earlier moved to unhook her bra. She was amazed by how quickly the hooks released and fell to opposite sides.

"How's that gonna help you if my shirt is still on?" Lace asked quietly with her eyes half closed, feeling shocked that the words she just spoke even left her lips.

Seth growled seductively and pulled her over to the edge of the bed. He took the bottom of her shirt in his hands and slid it up over her. With an evil smile, he got back up and pushed her backwards onto her bed. He tossed her shirt across the room and jumped on top of her on the bed. Lace used her index finger to trace down his abs on top of his shirt. She giggled and shied away.

"What do you want, huh?" He asked with his usual, cocky smirk, "You want me to take this off?"

Lace blushed, "It would make us even…wouldn't it?"

"Oh, you wanna get even? Okay, then."

Seth reached down and grabbed the bottom of his own shirt. He lifted it over his head at an agonizingly slow pace and shook out his hair as the shirt flew through the air and joined hers on the floor. Lace marveled at his body, returning her fingers to his chiseled eight pack. He watched her with eager eyes, waiting for the moment to strike like a cobra. She could tell however that he wasn't done playing with her yet. He had to warm up first. Proper technique was key, after all.

"Hey, Seth?" Lace asked, breaking a little stretch of silence between them.

"Yeah?" He breathed heavily.

"You…have experience. I-I don't really...I'm wondering…how much of what you know should I already know? I feel kinda…I dunno…dumb. Like I don't know what to do."

"You weren't a virgin." He answered, "I could tell that much."

"You are only my second time, though…"

Seth chuckled and spread her knees apart. He positioned himself between them, still sitting up on his knees, and leaned down to kiss her. With a very quick, gentle kiss, he reached his hand up to touch her lips. He placed a finger over them as though hushing her. She felt a shiver of excitement flood over her.

"I like your innocence, though. Let's me…surprise you. Teach you. Everything I know, you'll know. I like knowing that everything you will know will be what I show you."

"You're so possessive."

Seth's silver eyes stared back at her intensely.

"You're mine."

Lace felt her stomach flip with excitement. He drew his hand down her side and rested it on her hip bone. Slowly, he began kissing down her neck. It seemed as though he'd stay in one place for just long enough to drive her crazy before moving on. Nothing was rushed. She felt the warmth of his tongue tantalizing each area he brought it to. He was exploring her body. He was getting to know every inch of her. He was owning her in a way she didn't know that she wanted to be owned. She felt overexcited that she might be able to own him in the same way eventually.

A small moan escaped from her lips when he reached the bra that was only hanging on by the sheer size of her bust. He peeled it away and revealed what it'd hidden. She watched his eyes light up as his mouth continued to trace down. He kissed between them quickly, but moved back up and laid on his side.

"Do you want me to teach you some stuff?" He asked abruptly, staring at her naked chest shamelessly.

"I…I don't know…I…"

"It's okay. We'll go slow. We can start with the easy stuff."

Lace gulped nervously and nodded in agreement. Somehow she knew what he was thinking and reached for the button on his pants. He smirked and watched her unbutton them and unzip them. She could feel it again, that hard-to-miss bulge. The only problem was, what was she supposed to do with it?

She let her hand hover for a while before getting up the nerve to tug his jeans open and down slightly. To her horror, the thing she'd feared sprung forward. She stared at it, wondering what to do. Seth chuckled.

"You don't have to be afraid of it…"

Lace felt nervous and awkward. She decided to try what she knew all boys did when they were alone. She knew the basics of it, but clearly had never tried to do it to anyone herself. She reached for it and held it in her hand. She gasped and froze.

"You okay?" He asked, still laughing slightly.

"W-what do I…how…I'm not sure…"

"Like this…"

Seth wrapped his hand around hers and began moving it up and down. She was afraid to grip too hard, but he squeezed her hand tighter. She began to get the hang of it after a while. Seth moaned and let go of her. He let his head tilt back and closed his eyes.

"A-am I doing it right?" Lace asked, still quite nervous.

"Fuck yes." Seth moaned.

Lace felt her stomach flip again and noticed she was getting more and more aroused by simply watching him. The first time she was clumsy, unaware, and totally absorbed in the pleasure. This time around, she understood at least a little bit of what he wanted. She got the main idea of how to make him feel like he made her feel without much effort at all.

"Okay…you gotta stop…" Seth finally whispered.

"Why? Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" She asked innocently, letting him go quickly.

"Nah, totally the opposite…I need a break if I'm gonna pound you harder than I did last time."

Lace felt her entire face turn scarlet. How forward.

"Now, lay back and enjoy." Seth smirked.

Lace did as she was told. He scooted forward off of the bed and let his pants drop to his ankles. He stepped out of his boxers and kneeled down onto the floor. He grabbed her legs and yanked her towards him, almost off of the bed entirely.

"Let's see what you're wearing today…"

He undid her button and zipper and slid her pants down her long legs, tossing them across the room. Her black and pink thong was tantalizing him, begging for him. He licked his lips and kissed the inside of her thigh. Lace squirmed away, slightly embarrassed, but Seth grabbed her hips and pulled her back down to him. She giggled and hid her face in a pillow beside her.

"That's it…you might get a little loud…probably best to keep that pillow there…"

She knew what he was going to do. She'd gotten a small preview of what that was like the night before, but this time was different. He was moving so much slower and she felt so dangerous messing around in her own room.

"Keep your eyes closed, baby." He said softly, "I wanna keep you guessing..."

She closed her eyes and felt his touch disappear. What was he doing?

"Oh!"

His warm lips kissed her stomach, surprising her. He slowly kissed and sucked at her skin, moving somewhere else each time. He then lifted away and reappeared on her thigh, spreading her legs further apart slightly. She felt herself getting wetter with his advances, but tried to ignore it. She supposed it was a good thing, but what if he didn't like that? Was she supposed to be able to control it?

"Relax, Lace." Seth whispered, stroking her leg gently.

"Okay…s-sorry…" She answered, shaking slightly from anticipation.

Finally the moment arrived. She felt him slide the front of her thong to the side and start with the smallest, softest kiss. His lips were still so warm. She gasped and clutched the pillow tighter. His tongue began to flicker in and out like a snake's. She jerked slightly, but it only made him more eager. He locked both hands onto her backside, preventing her from moving.

Finally, his entire tongue was upon her like a blanket covering her most delicate area. She was in it for the long haul. Completely immobilized, she allowed him to torture her with his delicious movements. She began to feel an urge inside, like a burst of excitement ready to explode, but she tried her best to stifle it. She felt her eyes roll back in her head and moaned loudly.

"Let it go, babe…"

Lace allowed the feeling to continue growing. The faster he moved, the faster the feeling rose. It filled her up, overflowing and causing her to hold her breath. The point of no return arrived and exploded, spiking sharply into a fantasy world of ecstasy. She felt her muscles inside contract and pulsate. She grabbed his head and cried out loudly.

"Holy shit! Fuck!"

"Yeah…" Seth moaned proudly.

Before she finished her downward spiral, she felt him slide her thong down her legs. He began getting on top of her. She squirmed and flinched, coming down from an incredible high, when she felt him start to move into position. She felt the tip of his monstrous friend teasing her, rotating around in circles, wanting to enter but waiting. She couldn't stop moaning long enough to resist. She had no choice but to allow entry and wrapped her legs around his thighs.

Seth thrust his entire length into her quickly, sending shockwaves all over her body.

"Ah!" She screamed.

"Mmm…I like watching you scream for me…" Seth moaned, pulling out and pushing back in harshly.

"Oh, God!"

"Keep screaming like that for me…" Seth demanded in a low voice.

"Ahhh!"

Seth's saiyan nature began to show. He grabbed a hold of her hips and tilted her upwards slightly, supporting her weight completely in his hands. He began to move at a constant, grueling pace. He was pounding into her so hard that the slapping sound was echoing in her bedroom. Her head was spinning out of control. She wanted to scream louder, but she was already screaming as loud as she could. There was no release for this amazing feeling, only more pleasure to bare.

"Mm, you like that, baby?" Seth asked aggressively.

"Y-yes!"

"You do?"

"Yes!"

Why was he asking so many questions? She felt so awkward, yet excited.

"Ah!" Seth exclaimed, slamming into her and pulling out just as quickly. He rolled over on the bed and laid down, "C'mere, beautiful."

Lace assumed he was getting close to finishing again and needed a change of pace. She leaned up on her elbows and stared at him.

"What…do you…want me…to do?" She panted, her hair sticking to her sweaty face.

"C'mere." He said again with a chuckle, motioning for her to climb on top of him.

She did as he asked. Shyly, she hovered her body over his. He grabbed her backside again and squeezed with a most satisfied grin plastered across his face.

"What do I do?" She asked again, flushing bright red.

He angled her perfectly over him. Slowly, he pulled her downwards. She felt him enter her again and moaned, but he held her in place and opened his mouth to speak again.

"Now…move your hips forward and backwards, not up and down. You'll see what I mean…try it."

Lace felt mortified to be in such a revealing position, but gave in and tried the motion he was gently guiding her in.

"Woah…" She said shakily.

"Yeah. Now faster." Seth said seductively.

She began to grind back and forth, faster and faster until she worried the headboard might break through the wall from slamming into it. She looked down at his face and watched his mouth form a perfect "O" shape. His eyes were closed and he was sweating profusely.

"Ah, keep going…keep going…fuck!" He moaned.

"Oh, God!"

Lace felt that creeping sensation of heaven again. That delicious feeling of climbing up the stairs to a perfect place from which you jump off of. With each thrust, he was hitting perfect spot. She continued on for only a few more seconds before he grabbed her and squeezed tighter than before.

"Ah, I'm gonna…" Seth began, but he was a little late to announce.

Lace tilted her head back and kept going, allowing herself the sweet release she could never have imagined before. Her body quivered as she fell down from the clouds of the abyss and landed gently amongst the ocean of happiness. Seth was still jerking around and groaning loudly when she finally hit rock bottom and landed on his chest.

"Damn." He exhaled.

"Wow…" She smiled.

Suddenly, a ki approached. Then another. Soon several different energies could be felt from far away. Lace jumped up in a panic. Seth sat up and closed his eyes.

"It's my parents! We gotta get dressed!" Lace barked, grabbing her underwear and fastening her bra.

"Yeah, but…I feel…someone else, too…"

"What are you talking about Seth? Put on your damn pants and hurry the hell up!"

"Someone else is with them…or nearby…or…something…"

"Seth!" Lace exclaimed, pointing at his naked body.

Seth snapped out of his trance and hopped off of the bed. He threw on his clothes and rushed over to the window. Bra, Gin and Goten were flying towards the house, but Goten was carrying someone.

"Lace, c'mere!" Seth hollered, waving her over.

Lace rushed to the window and pulled her sweater over her head. She peered out the window into the dark night sky and saw what he'd been pointing at. Her father was indeed carrying someone.

Were they…dead?


	17. Chapter 17

Adrenaline can make anyone _feel_ like a super saiyan.

It's the very thing Lace believed to be what motivated her the most during an intense battle. They even say that if a child is trapped under a car, a regular, human mother or father could lift the car in a panic. While adrenaline rushes are scary things for humans, they're also addicting.

People spend their whole lives searching for a high like an adrenaline high. They become addicted to drugs, alcohol or sometimes even hurt themselves to find that rush. On a healthier note, some people turn to bungee jumping or sky diving. Sometimes it can be climbing the world's tallest mountains until they're near death. But sometimes, that rush comes when things happen that weren't supposed to happen in the first place.

A person never thinks that it will be their friend who is killed in a car accident. It will never happen to them, they think. It could never happen so close to home. The heart may be a strong organ, but how strong does it need to be when your loved ones die suddenly? How strong does it need to be to survive the most devastating loss a person can feel?

Lace never understood quite how powerful adrenaline could be. She'd been in fights that could have killed her. She'd been kidnapped, beaten up, and even survived what could have become rape. Was an adrenaline rush what caused Seth to rip the arms off of the man that could have done unspeakable things to Lace in that alley and then kill him? Was it adrenaline that coursed through her veins when the unknown saiyans broke her leg like snapping a twig outside of the collapsing hotel?

It had to be.

Nothing else would have gotten her through seeing Cody stripped of his memories, his power and more importantly, his dignity.

That familiar adrenaline rush was filling her body with dread as she stood in her foyer waiting for her parents with the front door wide open. It was building up and boiling over from the second her father hit the pavement running. It was clouding her vision and blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. It was bringing her heart rate to an astonishingly high level, pumping her blood though her veins like white hot lava burning down a volcano. It paralyzed her in place.

That feeling that it couldn't happen to them was right in the front of her mind. Not their family. They were the strongest beings on Earth, maybe the universe. They were invincible. It wasn't happening. It couldn't happen. Not now. Not today.

She saw her father rush past her with his arms covered in blood. She saw her mother chasing after him in the yard. Bra was screaming like she was dying. Gin was holding her back with all of his strength. His little body was doing its best, but she broke free and chased after Goten. Seth pushed past Lace and grabbed Bra while she screamed. He underestimated her strength and fell to the ground trying to keep hold of her when Gin caught up and helped keep her away from Goten.

Lace turned around in what felt like slow motion and felt her heart burst into a million pieces as the scene before her unfolded like a nightmare. Goten was on the floor and completely hysterical. He was yelling and cursing, screaming over the body he clutched like his life depended on never letting go of it. He was scrambling to hold onto his normal state, trying his best to avoid transforming and destroying their home.

That was impossible.

The room lit up with his super saiyan flames and his fists broke through the marble floor like it was paper. The ground shook and the neighbors started to rush outside. She could feel their prying eyes on their broken, alien family from outside where her mother screamed uncontrollably. Their anonymity would be destroyed, but Lace didn't care anymore.

She walked forward slowly, dragging her feet felt like bricks. Her breathing was slow, but fast at the same time. She pushed herself onward. It wasn't possible. It wasn't real. There was no possible explanation for this horror scene unfolding right in front of her.

"No…" Lace whispered.

Bra's uncontrollable wailing filled every inch of Lace's senses and haunted her down to her bones. The neighbors began to rush into Lace's yard to help Seth and Gin calm the ailing mother. Suddenly, Lace panicked. They couldn't see Goten like this. She could live with the world knowing about her, but outing her family just wasn't an option. She had to protect what little shroud of dignity Goten had. She couldn't let him end up as lost and destroyed as Cody.

Lace found the strength to grab the front door at its sides and slam it shut. She fell and rested her forehead on the door. She felt her hands slide down to the cold, marble floor and shivered uncontrollably. Her mother's screams continued to echo in her ears as sirens began to wail. The police had arrived. If she was going to stop Goten from showing his saiyan colors to the world, the time was now.

"My baby girl!" She heard Bra scream.

"Out of the way, you fools!" Vegeta's voice echoed.

If Vegeta had arrived, he'd sensed Goten's distress. Trunks wouldn't be far behind, neither would Cody.

They were of royal blood. They knew the secret they hid from the world was too precious to divulge to the humans. They wouldn't allow Goten to spiral out of control.

Or would they?

Vegeta burst through the front door with Trunks trailing behind him. Vegeta stood frozen for a moment, staring down at Lace in horror. Her face told him all that he needed to know. He ran past her into the kitchen where Goten could be heard beating the ground with his bloody fists. Trunks ran to the front porch and entered the house, carefully avoiding Bra's outstretched hands. He bent down and placed a hand on Lace's shoulder.

"Come on…" He whispered, "Up you go."

He pulled a petrified Lace up and held her steady. Lace looked out the door and saw Bra being pulled to an ambulance by Cody and Seth together. Gin was holding his head in horror as two cops spoke softly to him.

_What was happening?_

"Call Goku. Something's coming…we can feel it. With Goten and Bra out, we'll need his help." Trunks said softly.

Lace could barely hear him. He sounded like he was underwater. Trunks snapped his fingers in her face and shook her slightly. Lace's eyes opened wide. The power…he was right. She could feel something approaching from the sky. It was huge.

Suddenly, a loud bang exploded and filled the air with smoke. Fire rained down from above. Explosions could be heard from miles around and debris flew in all directions. Trunks dove forward and knocked Lace onto the staircase, taking the blunt force of a powerful ki blast.

"Get to the basement! Hurry! Go!" Trunks screamed.

Lace saw Vegeta pulling Goten along, but he was resisting and fighting to stay where he was. His powerful energy exploded into an angry burst of fire. He took off into the orange and yellow sky, straight for the light appearing above.

_Was that a spaceship?_

"Dad!" Lace screamed after him.

She broke away from Trunks' grip and left him below as she took off after her father. She transformed into her pink super saiyan form and blazed after him frantically, but he was hard to keep up with. He was furious and insane. He stopped suddenly and began to muster a massive Kamehameha wave. She stopped and watched as the blue burst headed straight for the ship, but to her horror, it was reflected right back at him.

It hit Goten head on. He flew backwards and slammed right into Lace. She felt the wind whip past her as they plummeted back to Earth. The ground gave way below them when they hit. Soon, dirt and rock completely surrounded them. Lace felt her head bleeding, but she couldn't reach up to touch it before Goten blasted off once more. This time, his opponents were visible.

An army began to emerge from the ship. They wore steel armor resembling Vegeta's formal battle wear, but it was different. It looked like it could withstand anything. They all had jet black hair and soulless, black pits for eyes. They were cold blooded killers. They were the true form of the saiyan race. Ruthless. Angry. Vengeful.

_Where did they come from?_

Before she could pry herself from the Earth, Goku appeared in front of her with two fingers placed on his forehead. Beside him stood her uncle Tarble holding onto Goku's shoulder. Lace blinked a few times, forgetting for the briefest moment that Goku could teleport. He held out a hand and pulled her from the dirt.

"Hold onto me." He said calmly, as only Goku could at a time like this.

They jumped upwards and back onto solid ground, but the sight unfolding in front of them destroyed what little hope Lace was holding on to.

Houses burned. People screamed. The city was under siege and she couldn't stop it. Was this the end of everything as she knew it?

"Kakarott!" Vegeta called.

Goku looked up and burst into his godly super saiyan form. The blue aura was a small glimpse of hope in a dark hole of despair. He blasted into the air and began fighting alongside Vegeta, leaving Lace below to spectate with Tarble.

The armored saiyans couldn't keep up with Lace's grandfathers. The blue super saiyan form was clearly not planned for, especially two at once. Soon enough, Trunks and Goten appeared in the sky fighting gallantly alongside the two blue saiyans.

"I need to help them. Please, go to your house and get to the shelter. You must go immediately!" Tarble pleaded.

He shot upwards to join the fight. Suddenly Lace felt a pair of hands grab her arm and yank. She turned ready to fight, but Keiko's panicked face was there.

"We gotta go!" Keiko shouted desperately.

Keiko began to pull Lace back towards their burning home. Lace cried out, too scared to see Brie's body again. She couldn't bare it.

_Where was her mother? Where was Seth?__  
_  
"Heads up!"

Keiko's twin brothers landed in front of them and blasted an impressive, joint-galick-gun directly in the face of a rather large, evil-looking saiyan. They winked at Keiko, pushing her forward with Lace. Keiko simply nodded and pulled Lace along.

"Keiko, I can't! I can't go in there! We have to stay and help!" Lace screamed.

"I am helping. I'm helping to keep you alive. They're after you, dammit! Aren't they always?" Keiko answered with a hint of sarcasm, running at full speed with Lace firmly in hand.

Lace saw a door open in the ground ahead. She hadn't seen it before and had no idea where it led, but she allowed Keiko to continue dragging her towards it. They reached the door and peered down a long set of stairs. Lace looked at her cousin, hesitant to go in after her.

"Go. I can't let my dumbass brothers fight alone." Keiko said firmly.

"What? No! Come with me!" Lace screeched through her tears, "If I can't protect you…then you have to come with me!"

"You think I can't stand my ground?" Keiko smirked.

Lace's emotions overwhelmed her. She flew forward and tossed her arms tightly around her best friend.

"You can't die, too!"

Keiko hugged her back and leaned her head on Lace's shoulder.

"I promise. I won't. Now, go!"

Before Lace could say another word, Keiko pushed her down into the darkness and slammed the door shut. A lock could be heard sealing Lace inside.

"Is…is that her? Lacey?"

Lace saw a light illuminate part of the hallway. Someone had opened a door and was standing just inside of the doorway. Lace began to move closer.

"You had us worried sick. Get your ass in here!"

Lace's aunt Caulifla had her arms crossed and was smirking like usual. She stood aside, revealing a room full of Lace's family members.

"Thank God!" Bulma sighed, running over to Lace and squeezing her.

Lace looked around and saw Gin sitting with their cousin Kole, the only son of her uncle Cabba and aunt Caulifla. Kole was comforting Gin and holding his blue inhaler in one hand. Lace rushed forward and dropped to her knees in front of Gin, grabbing him into a tight embrace.

"Gin…are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Gin shivered in her arms. He buried his head in her hair and cried.

"He only had one attack. I'd say he did pretty well considering everything…" Kole answered calmly.

"What the hell is going on? How did you even get here?" Lace demanded.

"Goku brought us from Japan. Vegeta showed us this shelter…Bulma built it just in case before you guys moved into this house."

Lace felt dumbfounded. She rose her head and looked around. Just then, another door opened to reveal Bra. She gasped and ran forward to Lace desperately. She collapsed onto the floor with her son and daughter.

"My babies…" Bra cried.

Lace felt her heart pull.

_Where was Brie's body? What happened to her? Why was any of this happening?_

"Mom…where…where's Seth?" Lace sniffled, trying not to think about Brie.

"He was right beside me when they were trying to put me in the ambulance…so was Cody. A blast hit the road where the ambulance was parked and crumbled it to nothing. I managed to get myself out of the debris, but when I did…both Seth and Cody were gone. I couldn't sense them anywhere."

"What?" Lace screamed, "Is he hurt? I have to help him! I…I have to get back out there!"

"No!" Bulma shouted.

They all looked at Bulma. Lace was shocked by her angry tone.

"But _why?_ Why can't I be out there? I'm the most powerful…"

Bulma held up her hand.

"Exactly. I believe they already have half of what they came here for…"

"What do you mean?" Lace asked frantically.

"We can only assume at this point that they have Cody and they're looking for you next."

Lace's world stopped. Knowing that Seth was potentially captive to the horrible army of saiyans was hard enough, but Cody, too? What had he done to deserve this?

Lace's memory flashed back to the night that changed everything. She remembered it like it was yesterday. The accident in Japan seemed like it had just happened when she pictured it.

She pictured Cody's face as he wept, knowing that many innocent people died just to test their strange, alien power. Tokyo University had declared it a domestic terrorist attack. He couldn't live with that. He wanted to come clean and tell the world what they were. He wanted to clear the air and take the punishment, whatever that may be. He was inconsolable that night. Vegeta screamed at him, as did Trunks. Even Goten snapped and told him that he would be the weakest link to ruin them all. She knew it was because he was only half of their blood. His mother wasn't one of them. Cody was nothing more than an accident from Trunks' childhood.

"Cody…I'm here…" Lace whispered, holding her cousin in her arms and rocking slightly.

They'd retreated to his room after a huge family confrontation turned brainstorming session to keep the Brief-Son name out of the story completely. Bulma's research couldn't be public knowledge. The secret had to be protected.

"I feel so…filthy. I'm a monster. We're monsters, Lace." Cody cried.

"No…we're not…" Lace answered, "We're just different…"

"If you really believe that…you're a fucking idiot!" Cody hollered, "Just leave me alone!"

"You're not alone in this, Cody! I did this, too! It's my fault, too!" Lace said urgently in a soft tone.

"You are not a monster…you could never be a monster." He answered.

She buried her head in his hair and continued rocking back and forth with him on the floor. His tears dripped down onto her jeans. She nuzzled his head. Her heart was heavy, but also full. She'd never been so close to him for so long. The love she felt for him may be wrong, but it felt so right in that moment. It was the perfect moment. She never wanted it to end. From such tragedy came at least one good thing.

"Cody…I love you…I will always love you…I'll never leave you." Lace whispered, barely audible.

He stopped sobbing and peered up at her. His orange eyes shined as the yellow ring around his pupils glowed brightly. His mouth fell open.

"You mean that…" He answered.

"Of course I mean it." She smiled, "We are two parts of one whole."

The kiss was real. It filled her up to the brim and sent her spiraling back down to Earth. She took his warm cheeks in her hands and held him there, unable to break away. The moment was so sweet it was hard to believe. His lips parted hers and locked in place. She leaned back onto the floor, allowing him to crawl on top of her. The passion engulfed them both. They couldn't stop.

Suddenly the door opened. They shot upwards and Lace covered herself quickly. Caught in the act, they stared awkwardly in a panic.

Bulma stared back. Her mouth hung open. Her hand clenched the doorknob. She closed her mouth slowly and backed out, closing the door again. They held perfectly still. Once they heard her head back down the stairs, Cody panicked. He threw on his shirt and got up. He walked over to his window and smacked his forehead against it.

"Cody…" Lace began.

"Don't…just don't…" He whispered.

"It's okay…grandma understands us. She knows what we are."

Cody laughed.

"Does she? Do we even know what we are?"

"What are you talking about?" Lace asked, getting up and joining him.

"Don't touch me!" He snapped, swatting her hand away.

"What the hell, Cody? What was that just now, huh? Guilt? Lust?"

"I don't fuckin' know." He answered.

"I…I thought you…loved me…"

He turned his head slowly and stared at his younger, naïve cousin. It was wrong. He couldn't allow himself to become even more evil than he already felt that he was.

"This can't happen."

Lace stared at him blankly.

"They want to move to America. I heard them talking about it…even before the experiment. I'm going to stay here and help somehow. I'll help rebuild Tokyo U…I'll do anything. But not with you. I can't bring you down with me."

"Cody…" Lace urged.

"Don't make me say it, Lace."

"Say it." She said angrily.

He turned and looked at her. He wanted to tell her that he didn't love her. He wanted to push her away. But how could he? She was only sixteen. She was so innocent and pure. She didn't choose this horrible power inside of her. She didn't choose the devastation their powers could bring if they combined.

"I don't want to be with you. Not like that. I don't feel the same way. I don't…"

"Say it!" She growled.

"I don't love you, Lace!"

She felt her heart break into a million pieces. She stormed out of his room and slammed the door. Two weeks later, their family moved to America. She'd gotten him to promise to keep texting her, but he said that's all it would be. He said he was her friend. He wouldn't take it any further.

Lace's mind snapped back to reality. She was still standing in the metal basement with Bulma, Kole, Caulifla and her brother. She noticed Marron was also in the room, but she was sobbing quietly and refusing to be a part of the conversation.

"They took Cody…to get to me…didn't they?" Lace whispered.

"Yeah…I think so. But we can't give them what they want…there has to be another way." Bulma answered.

Marron sniffled loudly, "God, what the hell is happening out there?"

"I have to go after him. I can't let them do this!" Lace shouted.

Lace grabbed her head and panicked. She ran straight for the exit. Despite her family's protests, she ran out in the dark hallway and straight for the steep stairs. She flew up them and burst through the heavy door, but when she hit the surface, she saw her family heading towards her. They were badly injured and leaning on each other for support.

The ship was gone. The army was gone. Everything was _gone_.


	18. Chapter 18

Lace rushed back into the bunker and called for her family members. They began to emerge cautiously, led by Caulifla, but Bra stayed behind. Lace then realized that Brie was actually in the bunker in the back room Bra had emerged from earlier. She closed her eyes and looked away, trying her best to stay sane.

Once Caulifla gave the all clear, Bulma's family came to realize that everything they had built in their new country was lost. Goten and Bra's home was leveled and burning. Their neighbors' homes were destroyed. People were screaming and crying. Bodies were laying in the street. Even the emergency workers couldn't seem to help everyone, though they sure were trying as they scurried about frantically. Lace felt sick to her stomach watching them and looked away.

"My God…" Bulma whispered, clutching Gin's shoulder and pulling him close to her.

Up ahead, Vegeta and Goku led the group of tattered saiyan warriors to the bunker door. Lace admired their bravery. The two looked like they'd barely taken a hit aside from their ripped clothing, yet they'd battled and killed the majority of the alien invaders compared to the others. Lace took a few steps forward and choked on the air as she tried to inhale. It was too thick with smoke to see very far, but outlines of people were still heading towards them.

"Dad?" Lace whispered.

Finally, Goten appeared. His head was bleeding and he was holding one of his arms protectively. Keiko was walking just behind him, beside Trunks. She was helping her father stand. Marron quickly rushed past Lace to his side and grabbed them both into a hug. The twins joined their family's embrace, but they too looked as though they'd both taken a massive beating.

Lace couldn't wait another second. She ran forward and wrapped her arms around her father's waist. He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her lovingly, clearly relieved that she was alive.

"D-dad…W-what are we gonna do…about Brie?" Lace cried quietly.

Goten only squeezed Lace harder. He was silent. Vegeta took a few steps towards them and cleared his throat.

"Stop crying and gather your strength, Lace." Vegeta said firmly, "We are not done here."

"I c-can't stop crying! How c-could this h-happen?" Lace sobbed, "This is all _my_ fault!"

Goten looked as though he'd been struck by a bullet to the heart. Tears welled up in his eyes and he had to quickly step away, afraid to cry in front of the group. Lace saw Trunks leave his family and rush over to Goten to console him. She couldn't bear to watch the pain her very existence was causing her family.

Vegeta walked forward with the swagger of a mighty king and grabbed both of her shoulders. He looked into her eyes with the sincerest face of sympathy she'd ever seen him muster.

"This is _not_ your fault. We will always find a way to defeat those who challenge us. We never give up. You are the heir to our royal saiyan thrown. You are the one who would rule our people…you were destined for this life of chaos, no matter how difficult it gets." Vegeta lowered his gaze, "It is time…to teach these saiyans, wherever they have come from, what power the king and his royal family of universe seven's planet Earth possess. We will kill them. We will kill them all."

Cabba perked up from staring at the ground and took a few steps towards them.

"Are you saying that you think those saiyans could've come from universe six?"

Caulifla looked shocked that he would suggest such a thing, but Tarble shrugged in their direction.

"Perhaps they did. We should keep our minds open to all possibilities...we know nothing of your universe."

Caulifla looked like she wanted to punch Tarble in the face, which was fairly normal, until Goku stepped in between them and frowned.

"Look, we gotta act fast. They haven't gotten very far. With both Vegeta and me using instant transmission…I'll bet we could catch them on the run!"

Tarble laughed ironically.

"Excuse me, Kakarott, but we can't just march our way into a ship full of unknown saiyans without a carefully structured and thought-out plan."

They stared at each other. Everyone was at a loss for words. Bulma suddenly pointed upwards as though she'd thought of her most brilliant idea yet.

"Hey! I have a ship you could use! It's kinda small, but it'll hold enough of you to fight and it can travel at light speed! The coolest part about it though is the invisibility feature…I built it a few years back. Would that work?"

The group seemed to perk up a bit. Tarble crossed his arms hesitantly.

"It may. I would need to inspect it first."

"Oh, leave it to the genius." Caulifla scoffed.

"So…obvious question…how do we decide who goes? This is a seriously dangerous mission, but we need strong people here on Earth, too…what if they come back?" Trunks added cautiously, returning to the group with Goten.

Lace took to opportunity to insert herself into the conversation and stood up straight.

"I'll fight. I'll avenge my sister. I'll tear them to pieces."

Behind her, Cabba and Caulifla began arguing like crazy. It only took a few moments until Caulifla pushed him aside and stepped back up to the group.

"I'll go. We just bought a damn house down the street and they blew it up…_hell_ no…I'll kill those bastards with my bare hands!" Caulifla growled, punching a fist into her open hand.

"You're moving here?" Lace gasped, spinning around to face Kole.

Kole smirked, "Yeah, it was supposed to be a surprise…"

Cabba sighed and place a hand on Caulifla's shoulder. He looked terribly worried and pale in the face.

"Caulifla, please. I'll go, you stay. It's just safer here…"

Caulifla crossed her arms defiantly.

"Unlike you, I haven't had the…_pleasure_…of meeting these crazy universe seven saiyans." She turned towards Goku, "For the record, the saiyans Cabba and I grew up with would have never done these things…it's just not the way things are on Sadala. These have to be saiyans from your universe that you didn't know existed."

Goku and Vegeta looked at each other warily, but Tarble was having none of it and began walking away.

"Can we please just go to Bulma's ship? I want to look over the parameters. We haven't any more time to waste!" Tarble demanded.

The group began to head back into the bunker one-by-one, but before they could disappear from the burning rubble, Lace heard a voice shouting. She could see two figures running in the distance, covered up by the smoke still billowing from the burning homes.

"Lace! Keiko!"

The voices were familiar. Lace and Keiko stopped dead in their tracks and waited for the figures to get close enough to see.

"What the…" Keiko frowned, squinting through the smoke.

"Chai? Hakosu?" Lace gasped.

Chai stopped just in front of them. Her mascara was running down her face. She'd been crying. Hakosu leaned over to catch his breath. Lace noticed that both of them had a considerable amount of blood on them and their clothes were tattered and ripped.

"What happened to you guys?" Keiko demanded, "I can't believe you tried to take on those…uh…aliens!"

Hakosu peered up at her. He slowly stood up and frowned.

"You mean saiyans?"

The entire group froze and gasped. Vegeta quickly turned away from the bunker door and grabbed Hakosu by the shirt.

"What did you just say, boy?" Vegeta growled.

"I fought them. I protected Chai…but I couldn't save everyone…"

"How do you know of the saiyan race?" Tarble growled from behind Vegeta.

"S-Seth…he's my best friend. I've known about saiyans since we were little kids!"

Chai looked utterly terrified. Keiko had an arm around her and was helping her stand. Lace couldn't believe what she was hearing and decided to add her own questions.

"Hak…were you with Brie when…she…" Lace faded to a whisper.

Hakosu sighed. Chai began to tear up again.

"We were in Rez's truck downtown. We picked up Brie from here earlier…Chris and Bibii were with us, too. We got stuck in traffic and while we were waiting to find out what happened, fire just started raining from the sky. Rez turned around and tried to drive over some grass, but the truck was hit. We flew out of the truck's bed…I was lucky enough to miss the tree the truck slammed into."

Lace gasped. The group looked around at each other in shock.

"There was this one saiyan there. It's like he appeared from nowhere. He had really long, spikey hair…he was super tall…he said his name was Raditz. He was looking for Lace."

Chai wiped away some tears while Vegeta and Goku began talking furiously back and forth. Goten seemed outraged and looked like he might explode.

"He thought Brie was Lace…he fought her. She barely stood her ground. I tried to help, but then he grabbed Bibii. She was unconscious…Brie took off after him and got hit with a direct energy blast. I saw her hit the ground, but I…I was paralyzed. That's when you showed up…that's when you found her."

He nodded towards Goten. Lace couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"After you took Brie, the ambulances started showing up to help people. Christopher was taken right away…we don't know if he survived. There was…so much blood…"

"What about Rez? Was he okay?" Keiko asked, rubbing Chai's shoulder.

Hakosu turned to her, "By the time we were finished helping with Christopher…we came back to the truck to help them get Rez out, but he was gone."

"Why would they take humans?" Caulifla asked, "This doesn't make any sense…"

"They took Seth, too. And my cousin, Cody." Lace added to Hakosu.

The crackle of the burning debris around them stung Lace's nose with the scent of ash. Time was wasting, but she had to know what he knew.

"But…There's something else…" Hakosu added, looking anxious.

"God, what else could their possibly be?" Goten groaned, rubbing his forehead.

"When Chai and I started heading this way to find you, we had to hide from a few of the soldiers. We overheard them talking. They were looking for someone."

"Yeah, yeah…they are always looking for Lace!" Keiko sighed.

"No, it wasn't her. They kept referring to "it" and that since it escaped from them, they were positive it was here on Earth."

Tarble stepped forward and examined Hakosu. He frowned.

"You're saying that something that they want is still here on Earth?"

Hakosu shrugged, "It sure seemed like they couldn't find it. Whatever it is."

"We should move swiftly. Who knows what is lurking around the corner for us here…defeating the enemy that has shown themselves is our first task at hand."

The group agreed. As they headed into the bunker, Bulma quickly illuminated a key pad that Lace hadn't seen earlier. She pressed a few keys and then placed her hand upon the reader, opening a large door seemingly from nowhere.

"It's just through here, guys. Follow me." Bulma said quickly.

While the family remained rather distracted, Hakosu and Chai were stunned by the sight. They looked like they'd both seen a ghost.

Just ahead on the wall was a large red button. Bulma pressed the button with force and stepped back a bit. The ground began to shake. Soon the floor opened up and slowly, an impressive spacecraft rose from below the depths of the bunker.

"Wow!" Keiko exclaimed.

"You…you have spaceships…under your house…" Chai said with wide eyes.

Goku stepped forward confidently and began strolling towards the ship.

"Let's go!" He said happily.

Vegeta grabbed him by the back of the shirt.

"Wait just a minute, Kakarott!" Vegeta snarled.

"What?" He asked, cocking his head to the side and whining.

"You have to stay here! One of us goes, the other stays…we agreed upon that! Do you honestly think that I would leave Bulma here unprotected? We can't risk both you and I dying out there!"

"Aw, then you stay, Vegeta! I wanna fight them again!" Goku pleaded like a small child.

"This is _my_ family's business, Kakarott! You don't get to decide everything all the time!" Vegeta shouted before turning and rushing towards the ship.

"She's my granddaughter, too, Vegeta!" Goku pointed, pouting.

"I am painfully aware of that, you buffoon." Vegeta grumbled without turning around.

Defeated, Goku slouched over and crossed his arms. Tarble patted Goku's arm and smiled as he followed his brother.

"It's okay, Kakarott. Maybe next time. Try to ignore his harsh words and focus on the fact that yet again, Earth is in your oh-so-capable hands."

Lace smirked. She knew Tarble secretly hated Goku, probably for the same reasons that Vegeta did, but she also knew it wasn't really avoidable. Goku was a pretty annoying person if you didn't already love him. Tarble was too formal to stoop to the insults that Vegeta spouted, but he definitely had enough spunk in him to use sarcasm to his advantage.

"So, how many people can go? Goku and Cabba stay here, Vegeta, Lace and I go…" Caulifla began.

"Pardon me, but I'll be going as well." Tarble declared, peeking out of the ship's door and quickly disappearing again.

Lace turned to Keiko and felt guilty for what she was about to ask. She knew Keiko wouldn't like it, but she had to make sure that her mother and Brie's body were kept safe. The only person she trusted for that job was her best friend.

"Keiko…I need you to stay behind." Lace said softly.

"What? Hell no! I'm going!" Keiko growled.

"No…I need you to stay here and guard my mom…and…and…"

Lace trailed off. She stared at the floor and held back tears.

"Lace, we've got you. I'll stay behind with Keiko and protect Bra. I know you're worried sick about her…them…" Trunks said calmly, placing a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

Keiko pouted, but rolled her eyes and agreed. She hugged Lace tightly.

"I would like to go…" Hakosu said timidly.

"Like hell you will! I can't go, but _you_ go?" Keiko complained.

"I already made it clear that I stood my ground once. I saved Chai's life. It's my duty to get Bibii and Rez back from that place. You all have other things to tend to up there, so let me handle rescuing our friends!"

Hakosu made a fair point. Lace had to agree with his logic.

"If you take a human, you'll need this…" Bulma said quickly, rushing over to a cabinet.

She pulled out an oxygen tank and a type of spacesuit. Hakosu frowned.

"Why wouldn't they need it?" He asked.

"We can breathe in space…not forever, but for a while." Lace shrugged.

While Bulma helped Hakosu suit up, Lace stepped up onto the ship. On board, Tarble was already seated in the pilot's seat. He quickly began calibrating the millions of buttons and knobs like a professional as the rest of them simply stood around in awe. They were surrounded by the most high-tech contraptions that Lace had ever laid eyes on.

Behind Lace, Goten stepped on board.

"Dad?" Lace asked, "You aren't staying with mom?"

Goten shook his head, "Trunks and Keiko can do that just fine. I need to make sure that you are safe…"

Lace understood his reasoning all too well.

With Hakosu trotting aboard in his spacesuit, Tarble pulled a lever sealing the door shut. Engines began to roar. Lace stood by her father and leaned on him slightly. The ship began to move forward. Lace looked out of the large window in front and saw the bunker wall open up to reveal the dark, night sky. She couldn't believe all of this was hidden below her own home without them ever knowing.

"Hold on." Tarble said sternly.

Lace felt the ship jolt forward and shoot into the sky. It headed straight upwards, breaking through the atmosphere at light speed and burning in the air around it. Before they knew it, they reached outer space. The blackness consumed literally everything. Lace couldn't believe her eyes. She'd seen pictures, but Goten wouldn't let her fly into space, regardless of the saiyan ability to breathe without oxygen. He continuously reminded her how dangerous it was, even though her aunt Pan was flying around the globe by her first birthday.

"Do you even know where we're going?" Vegeta grumbled, walking over to Tarble and leaning over him.

"Not yet. Hold on a moment. I need to activate the invisibility shield…" Tarble said, distracted.

He pulled up a screen that lit up in front of him in midair. He typed a few things and a red dot appeared on the vast map of space. Tarble pointed and smiled.

"Gotcha." He smiled deviously, "There's their ship…just as I suspected. We'll land on the outer wing…here…and then we'll be able to sneak inside. Bulma has capsulated this thing…I can keep it on me while we're inside or leave it invisible...what do you think, brother?"

"Let's leave it. Who knows how quickly we'll need to move…"

The group nodded in agreement with Vegeta as the ship sped towards its destination. Hakosu walked over to Lace and nudged her.

"I'm nervous…" Hakosu whispered.

Lace smirked, "The good thing is that as long as I'm there, they'll try to go after me before they even notice your energy."

Hakosu looked even more nervous. She supposed it was probably due to the fact that he was about to enter a bee hive of evil saiyans. Did he really think he could beat one? He was in fact a human. According to Lace's parents, who knew Keiko's human grandfather before he passed, Krillin was the strongest human on Earth. There hadn't been any humans close to his power level in ages.

Hakosu took a few nervous steps towards the large window and peered out at the blackness.

"It's just that I've heard about and learned about saiyans from Seth for so long...I guess it's like dinosaurs, right? They're all so cool and awesome until you actually meet one and they eat you…" Hakosu chuckled nervously, "I don't know…I just want Bibii and Rez to be safe back on Earth. I'm so worried about them."

"What about Seth?" Lace interjected, looking offended.

"Seth can take care of himself. I know he can. I believe in him. You should, too."

Before Lace could respond, the ship gently landed on top of the massive spaceship belonging to the enemy. It appeared to be docked onto a station of sorts.

"This is it, everyone. Be prepared. Be vigilant…most of all, hide your energy like your life depends on it." Tarble said, parking the ship firmly in place.

When the door opened, Lace felt her heart beating out of her chest. This was the moment she'd been waiting for. She started down the ramp confidently and began to float along.

She expected it to be difficult to breathe, but somehow her lungs breathed on their own without any oxygen. She marveled at her own body and continued along.

"Enter there…I see a hatch." Caulifla said, pointing.

They floated towards it and stopped outside of it. Vegeta moved forward and yanked it open, revealing a room full of pipes and electronic equipment. No one was inside. They hurried Hakosu in first and then followed, closing the hatch quickly.

"Phew…" Hakosu said, pulling the oxygen mask off, "That was terrifying."

The saiyans shrugged, unaffected. They began to snake their way through the maze of pipes quietly, looking around every corner for potential threats. Now and then, Vegeta would stop and make them press flat against a pipe as he assessed a noise ahead. Lace felt her heart thumping. She couldn't contain her excitement.

"There's a door…" Caulifla said quietly, "Do you think they're behind that?"

Vegeta approached the door and closed his eyes. He pressed his ear firmly against the cold metal and placed his hand flat against it. Lace realized he wasn't listening; he was feeling the energy of the room. His ability to locate even the most disguised energies was unrivaled.

"There's someone…it seems like just one saiyan. We can take them out easily." Vegeta confirmed.

"Ladies first." Caulifla said confidently, cracking her knuckles and sauntering forward.

Tarble and Goten rolled their eyes and hung back slightly. It seemed they were planning on being overly cautious. Vegeta opened the door, revealing a larger room full of hallways turning in all different directions. Caulifla stepped out and began creeping forward. She stopped abruptly.

"There!" She mouthed silently, pointing around a corner.

Lace saw her leap into action and quietly take out what appeared to be a guard. He had saiyan armor, but it was black and gold with a strange symbol on the back plate. Vegeta paused to look at it and frowned.

"I've seen that symbol before…I can't recall where…"

Tarble nodded, "As have I."

Caulifla shrugged and kept moving. Lace felt a little streak of jealousy.

Caulifla was such a perfect saiyan woman. Powerful beyond belief yet cocky and proud, just like Vegeta. She was the true embodiment of what Lace wished her personality was like, but her human emotions made her weak. She hated that about herself.

As they moved down a long, white hallway, Lace suddenly felt a horrible pressure in her chest. She reached up and touched her skin, rubbing it gently. Then she began to cough. The pressure began to grow stronger, constricting her heart and pulling outwards.

"Lace, are you okay?" Hakosu gasped.

Lace fell to the ground clutching her chest. She gasped for air. She could hear footsteps rushing towards them. The others circled around her.

"I see you've found us. How clever of you." A voice declared.

A group of saiyan men stood in front of them, all dressed in black and gold. Their armor glistened under the harsh lights above. Lace could barely keep her eyes open through the pain and curled into a ball. She felt Hakosu leaning over her, trying his best to offer comfort.

"You think you can stop us?" Caulifla asked playfully.

"Take them into custody, men!" A commanding officer shouted.

Vegeta smirked. Goten growled angrily. Tarble took a few steps back to protect Lace and Hakosu.

The fight was on.


	19. Chapter 19

Seth stumbled along the wall of an empty, silent hallway. He wasn't sure what happened, but he felt disoriented. The white walls on either side of him were phasing in and out with fuzzy lines surrounding the edges. He blinked a few times. The harsh fluorescent lights above made it hard to keep his eyes completely open.

He reached down to cradle his arm. It felt numb and tingly. His fingers met a smooth, rubbery material. He stopped trying to walk and leaned up against the wall with his shoulder as he examined his arm.

"What the…"

He was wearing saiyan clothes. His arms were sheathed in impenetrable, latex-type of material that saiyans used in the old days. His parents told him stories of saiyans turning into giant apes during a full moon and growing to enormous sizes. They had to have a material that would stretch to meet that need. That being said, he had no idea where he would have gotten such clothes from. He didn't even have a tail anymore to transform with.

He reached up and touched his chest to find cold, heavy armor. He looked down and saw that the solid black plates were lined with gold. They shined in the light, making him look away to regain his focus. He felt a little nauseous now.

In shock, he straightened himself to an upright position and limped along, still gripping the wall with one hand. There had to be a way out of this maze, but he wasn't sure where the endless hallway would lead him. Was he in danger? How long had he been out in the first place?

Finally, a few feet ahead he saw a large window. It was embedded into the wall like an exhibit at the zoo. A door was just beyond it and left slightly ajar. His interest was piqued. He hurried towards the window and peered inside.

The window appeared to be black, but a small dot of light was off in the distance. He wondered if it was a candle because it was flickering slightly. He pressed his face against the window, squinting and trying to see clearly. It was no use. He again turned to the door and sighed.

"C'mon Seth…"

Curiously, he placed his hand on the door and pushed it very slowly. The room was indeed black. He inched inside and closed the door behind him quickly to avoid anyone who might be coming down the hallway.

As he turned around to find the source of the light, he realized that the room was much larger than he'd first thought. The sound of the closing door bounced off of what appeared to be a high ceiling. He shivered. It was freezing cold, too.

He took a step forward and felt his entire body freeze. The room lit up all at once, blinding him completely. He panicked and covered his eyes. Had someone spotted him?

After a few seconds of frantic blinking, he opened his eyes and saw that he was inside of a completely circular, white room. The ceiling spiraled upwards, leading the eye to a tiny window. Seth could see the stars above and was reminded that he was in space.

Around the area he was standing, a white railing decorated what looked like a viewing area. He trotted forward, still slightly woozy, and grabbed onto it to hold himself steady. He looked down.

"Holy shit!" He exclaimed.

Several giant, white machines sat at the bottom of the room against a black, tiled floor. They contained a glowing, orange liquid. He squinted. Giant tubes were coming out of the top of the machines and were connected to the wall behind them.

Now horribly curious, he hopped over the railing and dropped down gracefully onto the floor below. He stood up with a slight wobble and walked up to the machine's small, round window. A black panel with tiny, lighted buttons was beeping below the window.

"Oh, my God!"

Inside, Bibii was floating lifelessly, hooked up to wires. She had the same saiyan clothing on her body as Seth, but her face was covered in a mask so that she could breathe in the water. Her eyes were closed and she wore a peaceful expression on her face.

"Bibii! Bibii!" Seth shouted, slamming his open hand on the glass.

When she didn't respond, he looked down at the key pad and tried to read the buttons. They were in another language; one he'd only seen in his father's old journals. It was the language of the ancient saiyans.

Worried about what else he'd find and not sure what else he could do, he ran to the next machine and peered inside the window. Rez was floating inside this one. His huge hair seemed to be everywhere, almost making it hard to see his face, but he appeared to be in the same state as Bibii. He was still wearing his Earth clothes however, and didn't look like he'd been hurt at all.

"What the fuck…" Seth whispered.

He held onto the machine and looked away, terrified. He worried about who might be inside the third pod. If it was Lace, he might lose his mind. There was no way he'd be able to stand by. He'd smash the pod open in a second.

Cautiously, he backed away from Rez's pod and stared at the floor. He clenched his fists. He tried to prepare himself and breathed in and out slowly. He took a step. His entire body felt like a cylinder of cement, unable to move faster that he could drag it along. He felt his palms begin to sweat.

"Please…please don't be Lace…" He pleaded to himself.

He stepped up to the third and largest of the pods. It looked as though it had capacity for more than one person. The controls appeared far more complex, as well. He stepped up to the door, feeling sweat drip down from his forehead. His heart was racing.

Reluctantly he looked into the third window. Shock fell over him. He covered his mouth.

"Cody?"

Lace's cousin Cody looked to be in critical condition. His eyes were swollen and his body was badly beaten. He'd put up a good fight. He had gashes across his chest, tearing his black shirt at the seams. His feet were bare without shoes and his hands looked as though they'd punched their way through glass.

Wires ran from all corners of the interior, as well as a face mask to keep him breathing. The difference was a giant helmet sitting atop his head and connected to the back of the pod. It was blinking. He pressed his forehead to the glass and tried to see further inside.

Just to the right of Cody was a second circle to stand a person on. Cody's hand was positioned as though reaching out to the second area. A memory suddenly flashed through Seth's brain.

"Tokyo…"

He remembered Lace telling him about the experiment that the world labeled as a terrorist attack. He remembered how joining hands with Cody was what destroyed Tokyo U and brought on full spread panic. He realized then that their full intention was to harness that power and take control of it for their own use. For what that would entail, he could only imagine.

Terrified and determined, he began to press buttons on the control pad. He had no idea what he was doing, but he was too afraid what might happen if Lace found herself hooked up inside with Cody. She could die, or worse. Clearly death wouldn't be the worst thing to happen if Cody, Rez and Bibii were in fact still alive inside of the pods. What reason could they possibly have for keeping them alive that way, anyhow?

"C'mon…c'mon…" Seth growled, frantically typing away.

A screen turned on near the door. It showed a hand print and a blinking red button turned on. He stared at it, then stared down at his hand.

Slowly, he peeled off the white glove he was wearing and revealed his bare hand. His knuckles were purple and bloody. _Good_, he thought. At least he'd put up a fight, too when they captured him.

He wasted no time and pressed his hand against the screen. The red light blinked faster and beeped a few times. He worried he might have pressed the wrong button. What if something far worse than release happened? He worried he might have done more harm than good.

Soon, a green light replaced the red one and the liquid began filtering out through the many wires and tubes inside. He felt elated. It had worked! But why? Simply because he was a saiyan? No, this was too easy.

He heard the other two pods react as well as their contents were flushed away through the ship's piping. He ran over to Bibii's pod first and pulled her door open. She was unconscious, but breathing.

He pulled her out of the machine and set her down against a pole at the center of the room. Quickly he turned to Rez and dragged him out as well, but noticed what appeared to be an injection site on his neck. He winced. It looked like it must've been painful. He couldn't see the same on Bibii's and tried to forget about it. What was done was done.

Finally, he made it to Cody's pod. Cody had fallen to the ground and looked like he'd stopped breathing. Seth flung his door open and dragged him out. He began CPR and listened. He wasn't breathing.

Seth remembered something he'd seen his father do once when his sibling choked on some food. She'd stopped breathing, and they feared the worst, until their father shot an energy wave straight into his little sister's tiny heart, starting it again.

"Don't you fuckin die on me, man. Not like this." Seth growled.

He stopped pressing down on Cody's chest. He gently laid his hand flat above Cody's heart and closed his eyes. In the blackness, he pictured his energy. He willed it to go beyond him, straight into Cody's silent heart, and shot the blast directly into him.

Within seconds, Cody's eyes flew open and he began to cough uncontrollably.

"What…what happened?" Cody gasped, coughing up water.

"I don't know, man…" Seth smirked, "But I just saved your ass."

Once Cody regained his composure, he rubbed his swollen eyes and stared up at Seth. Seth helped him sit up and the two simply stood in silence. Seth looked over at Bibii and Rez, but they still hadn't woken up.

"I'm worried about them…" Seth admitted solemnly.

Cody shook his head, "Are you sure it wasn't you that did this to us in the first place?"

Seth frowned.

"Of course not! Why would you even say that when I just saved you?"

Cody frowned, "Then why the hell are you wearing the same saiyan battle clothes those assholes that attacked Earth were wearing?"

Seth sighed. He knew it probably looked bad, but he honestly wasn't sure how to answer that question.

"H-hey…he's waking up!" Cody said excitedly, pointing to Rez.

Seth approached Rez and Bibii cautiously. He stared, wondering how much Rez might remember if both Seth and Cody couldn't remember a thing. Bibii was still resting silently.

"Rez? Dude, you good?" Seth asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

A strange sensation filled Seth's body. He felt danger, but there wasn't a single ki near them besides his own and Cody's. He shook his head and stood up.

"You good?" Cody asked, staring anxiously at Seth.

"Nah…I mean, I have the weirdest feeling…" Seth answered.

Rez began to stir. He rubbed his eyes and groaned quietly.

"He's awake!" Cody said happily.

"No…" Seth said quietly, still feeling for Rez's life energy.

Rez began to flinch like he was jerking away from something. He fell flat onto his back. His eyes suddenly turned completely white. Cody and Seth backed away.

"Um, we should get the hell outta here…" Cody said in a shaking voice.

"I can't just leave my friends." Seth growled, "Why don't you grow some balls, dude?"

Rez continued to thrash. His eyes closed and his body went rigid. He was stiff as a board and his hands were frozen in tight fists. Slowly, his back arched backwards. A low growl emerged from his lips.

"I'll get Bibii…head for the staircase…" Cody demanded, "Go!"

Seth backed away, still not standing up completely straight. Rez's head jerked towards Seth. His eyes flew open. Black pools of darkness stared up at him with tiny, red pupils. Rez opened his mouth, revealing fangs like a snake's. Seth shouted in fear and jolted backwards.

Rez began to stand. His body twitched uncontrollably as muscles bulged out and his bones cracked. He growled again, revealing two voices this time. One sounded like Rez, the other was lower and sinister. Seth trembled. The black marks on Rez's cheeks that Seth always assumed to be some kind of facial hair style began to grow and shift. They formed two, long streaks from his forehead over his eyelids. A third streak appeared on his chin and down his neck.

"What the…" Seth heard Cody gasp.

"Let's get the fuck outta here! Go! Run!" Seth shouted.

They both began to run for their lives. Seth heard Rez let out a massive roar of anger and felt his ki explode into something he'd never experienced before in his life. The sensation was evil. The only word he could think of to describe the feeling was demonic.

"Go! Go!"

Cody limped up the long staircase gripping tightly onto Bibii. Seth grew impatient and grabbed Cody by the waist with one hand to move him faster. He blasted upwards and towards the door he'd first entered through, making it through with just enough time to shut it firmly behind them.

Rez appeared in the window shortly after. He slammed against the glass. Seth heard it creaking, but it didn't break. He wondered what kind of glass could hold such a beast in.

"Let's go!" Cody demanded.

Seth followed, looking over his shoulder nervously. He could still hear Rez roaring angrily. He was sure it wouldn't be long before he broke through that glass and came for them. Whatever it was that they'd injected into his neck had to be the cause. He couldn't think of another explanation.

The white hallways twisted and turned in all directions. Cody and Seth raced along, too scared to stop. He hoped they weren't going in circles, but he'd yet to see the same thing twice.

"Wait! Stop!" Seth shouted, holding out a hand, "I…I sense something."

Seth closed his eyes again. He saw darkness, but there were several life forces ahead. His heart skipped a beat. Lace was there, her energy glowing a bright pink like it always did. He saw Vegeta as well, glowing a sparkling blue. He assumed the other lights around her were her family, but…a green light? Hakosu?

Seth turned his attention to the group of enemies that they appeared to be standing in front of. All of them glowed the same shade of light gray. Regular saiyans, he thought. He saw one glowing blue and found it a little odd, but then he saw the most powerful of the entire group. It was hidden amongst the others, making it harder to detect.

"No…" Seth whispered.

"What? What is it?" Cody asked, looking over his shoulder.

"It…can't be…"

Suddenly, the energy he found shot forward ahead of the group. It was shooting straight for Lace's energy. It was so fast that not even Vegeta could react. He saw them collide and felt a stabbing pain straight to his heart. Whatever had just happened, Lace was gravely injured. He could feel it.

"Ack!" He shouted.

Desperate to save her, he burst into super saiyan flames and pointed forward. Be began to run towards the energies. His index and middle fingers formed a straight line.

"Haa!"

He shot a pure blast of energy through the wall and cleared the way. He ran straight into an all-out battle and landed a punch to the face of the person who'd injured Lace. He gasped.

As he fell forward and his fist sunk into her skin, he realized his worst fear was true. The energy he'd hoped couldn't be real was what he'd dreaded since the very moment his childhood home went up in flames.

"Rachel…"

He fell forward and retracted his fist as the female saiyan flew across the room and slammed into the adjacent wall. Seth dropped to his knees and tried to grab Lace up from the ground. Her body was broken and her face was bleeding. What seemed like an army of saiyans was fighting all around him. He dragged her into his arms and squeezed onto her.

"Lace…Lace fight for me…stay awake…" He cried into her hair.

He felt a powerful shock of energy encase his body with pain and screamed louder than he'd ever screamed. He released Lace and felt his feet lift off of the ground. Rachel was below him, controlling her powers and smirking her evil smile.

"Brother…it's been a while…" She snarled.

"Rachel…stop…" Seth gasped, "You don't have…to do…this…"

Seth felt his body about to give way to her incredible power. This wasn't normal. She was using a power that no saiyan he knew had ever used. It felt dark, similar to the same power he'd felt within Rez.

"You weakling!" Rachel bellowed, increasing her power, "If only father could see his precious boy now!"

"I'll…I'll kill you for this, Rachel! How dare you even speak about our parents!" Seth shouted, "You crazy bitch!"

He saw Lace's weak eyes open slightly from the ground and look up at him desperately. They were pale blue. From the looks of things, she would die if he didn't end this. He couldn't let that happen.

"Enough!"

The fighting around them stopped. A bright, orange light was shining from below. Seth turned his head painfully. Who was it?

"You want my power…our power…come and take it…"

Cody was powered up and ready for a fight. He'd entered behind Seth and handed Bibii off to Hakosu.

"It looks to me like we have everything we need in reach. Raditz!"

Rachel snapped her fingers at a large saiyan that had been battling with Vegeta. He nodded and rushed Cody, but Cody easily blasted him away.

"You will never control our powers…why can't you understand that?" Cody laughed, "It was you that night, wasn't it? It was you who stole my memories from me…you who almost killed me…"

He shot straight at Rachel, but before he could reach her, another blast hit her first.

"No!" Seth shouted.

Lace was panting. She'd shot a single blast with the tiny amount of energy she had left to distract Rachel. Rachel returned the blast and sent Lace rolling across the floor effortlessly. Rachel returned her sights to Cody and snarled.

"I'll destroy you! You don't stand a chance without half of your powers, let alone against what I have become!" Rachel growled.

Cody shook his head, "I don't care what you are…I'll still kill you."

Seth tried to reach Lace, but Rachel shot another blast at him and paralyzed him only inches from her hand. He screamed. His body was breaking.

Rachel was hit with another blast from Cody and before Seth knew it, the two were fighting head-to-head in midair before him. He watched the gallant saiyan overpower Rachel easily and push her back. She was giving up ground quickly. He was shocked to see that all of the saiyans below them had stopped fighting just to watch.

"Seth!" Hakosu shouted.

Seth felt arms grabbing him. When his eyes opened again, Hakosu was sitting in front of him in tears. Seth pushed himself up from the ground and looked forward. His heart stopped.

Lace was pale white and her eyes were wide open. They'd turned a pale shade of gray and there was no pink left in them at all. Goten was reeling and squeezing her lifeless body as he rocked back and forth. Vegeta stood over him with wide eyes, along with a man and woman Seth didn't recognize. They must've come with Vegeta to fight.

"Oh, God!" Seth cried, "No! No, no, no!"

Just when it seemed that Cody was getting the upper hand, Rachel blasted him with such a powerful hit that he flew back down to his group and landed on the ground, creating a huge crater. Rachel began her descent.

"Did you honestly think that you could defeat me? You don't understand…the blood of the beast runs through my veins…"

Vegeta grew impatient, "Cody, kill her before I do it for you!"

Cody's fists tightened.

"All I need now is that girl…her power combined with yours…the demon beast…it'll awaken a force that's been trapped on Earth for centuries. I'll be rewarded with immortality for bringing them out of their slumber…no one is going to take that from me!"

The man that Rachel had called Raditz was quietly sneaking up behind Rachel. The group noticed him, but tried not to react. Suddenly, Rachel turned on a dime and blasted the man in the chest.

"You think you can overpower me?" She shouted, "You idiot!"

"Please, Rachel…show mercy…I only want…to protect my daughter..." He whimpered.

The group gasped and looked around. Raditz began to point towards Bibii, who laid sleeping in Hakosu's arms.

"Please, Rachel…in exchange for my service, you were supposed to spare her. If you attack now, she'll die with the rest of them. Please!"

Seth realized that Raditz's failed, random attempt at mercy was actually a distraction. Cody had made his way to the group without her noticing and made it to Lace. He grabbed her hand into his own and looked up triumphantly.

"You think you're immortal? Let's prove you wrong, then…"

A surge of light blinded everyone. Its sheer power grew to immense proportions. Gold and pink flames shot outwards from the light and surrounded their group. Both Cody and Lace floated upwards.

Seth marveled. Lace's energy returned. Her eyes were completely pink and her body was healed. Cody appeared to be in shock, though. His confident glare turned worried. The longer he held onto her hand, the more he looked like he might vomit. His eyes were so wide they might explode.

"What's…happening?" Hakosu shouted.

"Their powers have joined. If I had to guess, his memories are returning to him…all of them, all at once." Vegeta answered, "He is whole again."

Rachel looked infuriated. She held up her hands, ready to shoot her own ki straight for them at close range. Unafraid, Lace and Cody both raised their free hands. With their fingers straight and pursed together, they formed huge energy blasts. The blasts charged and grew faster than Rachel could prepare her own. They exploded towards her and twisted around each other as they raced through the air. The hit was so loud that Seth covered his ears.

Lace's heart was racing. Her arm was still outstretched, ready to send another blast flying at her enemy in the blink of an eye, but she couldn't see anything. The large room was full of white smoke. As her chest rose and fell, she felt an increasing sense of excitement. The sensation of evil had passed, so was Rachel gone?

Finally the smoke began to clear. It was obvious that she'd been blown to bits by the appearance of the area around where she had been standing. Lace felt a heavy, metaphorical boulder lift off of her shoulders. Her entire body filled with joy. They'd succeeded and though she was at full strength, her powers were completely under control. For the first time in her life, she'd mastered her true form.

She peered downwards at Cody's hand and felt him squeeze hers slightly. She smiled.

"Lace…" Cody began.

"Cody, we did it!" Lace laughed, "We won!"

Cody's blank expression slowly turned into a small smile. He turned his head towards her and blinked a few times. Lace noticed he was tearing up.

"What's wrong?" She asked, "It's okay…I forgot you've never experienced this before. Um…well, it's over now. At least you can go back to normal life as a human."

Cody shook his head. He smiled weakly and stifled a cough as he began to grow more and more emotional.

"What's the matter? Aren't you happy?" Lace asked quietly.

"Of course I'm happy…" He whispered.

Lace frowned, "Then what's wrong?"

Cody released her hand and looked away to wipe his tears quickly. He inhaled sharply before turning back to her.

"My memories…everything…I remember everything." Cody choked, "And…I'm so sorry that I left you all alone in this. I love you, Lace. I'm not afraid anymore. I love you."

Lace gasped. She couldn't breathe. He continued.

"Now that our powers are in control, nothing will stand in our way…not our parents, our families…nothing! I'm so sorry it took me this long to remember…that night…" Cody declared.

Lace couldn't process what he was saying. Her mouth was hanging open. She quickly looked down at Seth, who was standing with their family waiting for the next move. He would kill Cody if he knew. He would never accept that another man was in love with her.

"Cody…don't you remember the other night? What the entire family found out? When grandpa Vegeta sparred with Seth?" Lace asked slowly.

"Who's Seth?" He asked.

Lace's mouth fell open again.

"Okay…What is the last thing you remember?"

"I remember that night…in the hotel. I remember what happened with us…then I remember the explosion…everything is black after that." He shrugged, "But that's okay. I don't need to remember any of that! We can be together now and I'll never let anything stand in our way again! Forget college…forget Japan…I'm staying right here with you!"

Lace felt horrible. Her stomach turned over and she wanted to run away.

"Cody…we're not…I'm not…" Lace mumbled awkwardly.

"Lace! Cody!" Caulifla shouted.

Lace looked down to see one of the guards that was standing at the across the atrium pointing their energy blast right for the group. The guard was in tears. She assumed he must've been Rachel's lover, or at least thought of her as a queen.

He fired the blast before anyone could react. Lace seemed to be watching in slow motion. She fired back, but missed his attack. The blast shot through the crowd. In a split second, Lace could see straight through Seth's chest.

"No!" Lace screamed.

She saw Seth fall backwards clutching his chest and gasping. Her panic was overwhelming. She flew down to her family faster than a lightning bolt. Vegeta made short work of the guard who'd fired, leaving the rest of them backing away in surrender.

Lace hit the ground running and dropped to her knees. She grabbed Seth up into her arms. He was lifeless. His eyes were closed and his expression was peaceful. He looked pale. Lace's breathing began to grow ragged. Everyone felt a spike in her ki and looked at each other nervously. Goten started towards her, but Vegeta stopped him.

"No! No, no, no!" Lace screamed, beginning to sob.

Hakosu was still holding on to an unconscious Bibii, but his expression couldn't look more devastated. He handed Bibii to Caulifla gently before joining Lace on the ground. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and tried his very best to stay strong.

"L-Lace…Lace, breathe…" Hakosu pleaded, stifling his tears.

Lace couldn't speak. Her heart was torn in half. First, Cody confesses a love for her that she could never return. Now, her one true love was killed right in front of her eyes. She felt like dying.

"Let's not panic…we have one last option." Tarble said quietly.

"What option?" Hakosu demanded.

"If we hurry and get him back to the ship, we might be able to…" Tarble began.

"No! Don't touch him!" Lace screamed, wrapping her arms around his body.

She felt the cold armor of his saiyan outfit against her cheek and wept even harder. There was no way he could be gone forever. He was strong and proud, like a saiyan should be. There had to be a way that he was still holding on. A single blast couldn't have killed him.

"Oh, Seth…why did you have to die? Why? Don't leave me…you can't leave me alone…" Lace cried.

"What exactly do you suggest here, brother? Can you not see through the boy's chest?" Vegeta growled.

"Wait! Stop!"

A large man with spikey hair jogged towards their group from the mass of guards surrounding the atrium quietly. Lace recognized him. He'd been there the night Cody and Lace were attacked. She instinctively held up her hand to him, ready to fire.

"Please! I can help!"

Vegeta angrily turned towards the man and shoved him backwards.

"Dammit, Raditz! Can't you see that this is a sensitive, family matter?"

The man shook his head, "This is just as much my family as it is yours, Vegeta!"

Everyone looked up, confused.

"Listen…I only helped Rachel because I had no choice…she knew a secret that no one else knew and she used it against me. The reason why Bibiirotto was captured…the reason she is here…it's all my fault."

Hakosu looked up with rage in his eyes.

"I am Bibiirotto's father. I promise you the truth."

Lace thought Hakosu might attack the saiyan, but instead, Raditz continued talking quickly.

"The dragon balls…I have already collected all seven. I knew that we would need them after Rachel was defeated…better still, I knew that you would defeat her. I'm shocked that Kakarott wasn't a part of this, however..."

"The dragon balls? Where are they? You fool, give them to me this instant!" Vegeta shouted.

"Brother…" Tarble frowned, "How are we to know that Raditz isn't just playing games?"

"I can prove it. I stopped them from killing the boy named Rez. I hid him away myself so that his transformation would fall. I prevented Rachel from completing her summoning."

"Summoning?" Caulifla asked, "Like…demons and ghosts and shit? Are you kidding me?"

Raditz looked at her gravely, "Unfortunately, yes. But we shouldn't worry. Killing Rachel was the best thing for your planet. All I ask is that you grant these saiyans mercy and allow them to leave in peace. As long as Bibiirotto is safe, I will do whatever you need for me to do. Please. I beg of you."

After a long pause, Vegeta finally nodded. Tarble began to head towards the ship, with the group reluctantly following behind. Lace allowed Hakosu to carry Seth, only because she couldn't bear to look at him. She had to stay positive. If Raditz had the dragon balls, maybe Seth would be okay. She had to tell herself that everything would be okay.

They stepped onto their ship with Raditz while a few other guards approached carrying Rez. He was out cold, but looked normal again. Lace was relieved to see that he was okay.

"We will make our wish on Earth, not here in space. I won't have you interfering." Vegeta growled.

Raditz nodded, "I figured as much."

Tarble sat down at the controls and began firing up the engines. Raditz smiled and backed away.

"Please tell Bibiirotto that one day…I'll find her again." Raditz said quietly, "It wasn't supposed to be this way…"

Goten, who'd remained very quiet most of the journey and battle, finally spoke up.

"Why don't you…come to Earth with us? Every man deserves to know his daughter…"

Lace teared up again. He was referring to Brie. She was still dead, too. Would the dragon balls revive her? Lace had never used them before. She had no idea if it would only work for one person or more.

Raditz looked shocked. He turned to Vegeta, as though asking permission. Vegeta looked away.

"I will have no part in that. You would be Kakarott's problem, not mine. And if I have to kill you…you'll be sorry." Vegeta grumbled, crossing his arms.

Raditz smirked. He bid farewell to his saiyan army rather easily and boarded the ship for Earth. A guard handed Raditz a large sack. Lace was curious. She'd heard so much about the dragon balls, but she'd never seen them.

With everyone finally in tow, Tarble returned the ship to Bulma's bunker at light speed.

The dragon balls were a welcomed sight back on Earth. After quick and happy reunions, the wish began. Goten summoned the dragon, desperate for his daughter back. His wish to return Earth back to pre-attack status brought back countless lives and restored the entire city to what it had been. It was magical. In an instant, everything snapped back to normal.

Lace felt a small jolt in her heart the moment the dragon disappeared. She turned around.

Seth was the first to wake. He opened his eyes and reached for his chest, but the wound was gone. Lace grabbed him into the tightest hug she could muster and began blubbering like a crazy-woman.

"Seth! You're alive!" Hakosu cried, "Thank God, man!"

Seth looked completely confused.

"What happened?" He asked, "Did…did we win?"

"Yeah! We won!" Hakosu cried.

Seth smiled. He slowly turned his gaze to Lace.

"Hey…" He said softly.

Lace sniffled and wiped away some tears.

"You're alive…I…I …thank God…"

Seth took her shoulders into his hands. He stared straight into her eyes and frowned.

"From now on, you have me right here. I will never let anything like this happen ever again. I'm stronger now. I can protect you. I'll always protect you…forever. I love you."

Lace felt tears roll down her cheeks.

"Oh, my god, get a room!"

Lace turned and saw Brie standing with her arms crossed. She looked exactly as she had before she left Seth and Lace alone the night before. Lace blinked a few times.

"B-Brie?" She gasped, "You're alive!"

Brie smiled and winked.

Everyone was relieved. It was the perfect ending to what Lace really thought might be the end of the world.


End file.
